In The Bag
by Jon Burch Photography
Title
In The Bag
Artist
Jon Burch Photography
Medium
Photograph - Digital Photography
Description
Bagworm moths are part of the Lepidoptera butterfly family having about 1350 species which are found globally.
Another common name for bagworms is "case moths", with the name used for the case-bearers as well. This refers to the habits of caterpillar of these two families, which build small protective cases in which they hide.
The caterpillar larvae construct cases out of silk and environmental materials such as sand, soil, lichen, or plant materials. These cases are attached to rocks, trees or fences while resting or during their pupa stage, but are otherwise mobile. The larvae of some species eat lichen, while others prefer green leaves. In many species, the adult females lack wings and are therefore difficult to identify accurately. Case-bearer cases are usually much smaller, flimsier, and consist mainly of silk, while bagworm "bags" resemble caddisfly cases in their outward appearance – a mass of plant detritus spun together with silk on the inside.
Bagworm cases range in size from less than 1 to 15 cm among some tropical species. Each species makes a case particular to its species, making the case more useful to identify the species than the creature itself. Cases among the more primitive species are flat. More specialized species exhibit a greater variety of case size, shape, and composition, usually narrowing on both ends. The attachment substance used to affix the bag to host plant, or structure, can be very strong, and in some case require a great deal of force to remove given the relative size and weight of the actual "bag" structure itself. Body markings are rare. Adult females of many bagworm species have only vestigial wings, legs, and mouth parts. In some species, parthenogenesis is known. The adult males of most species are strong fliers with well-developed wings and feathery antennae but survive only long enough to reproduce due to underdeveloped mouth parts that prevent them from feeding. Their wings have few of the scales characteristic of most moths, instead having a thin covering of hairs.
Some digital effects were applied to the original image after the photograph was made. No electrons were harmed during the transition.
Image copyright 2022 Jon Burch Photography.
Uploaded
February 11th, 2022
Statistics
Viewed 81 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/16/2024 at 8:56 AM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
