Currently viewing the category: "Bagworm Moths"

Flightless Bagworm Moth from New Zealand

On · Category: Bagworm Moths · 12 Comments

Subject: “Australian” Bagworm Moth
Location: Epsom, Auckland
March 14, 2014 2:54 pm
Never seen one before but I spotted and I think correctly identified an Australian Bag Moth yesterday 14 March 2014 in Epsom, Auckland
Signature: Lindsay

Bagworm Moth

Female Bagworm Moth

Dear Lindsay,
Thanks for submitting your photo of a flightless, female Bagworm Moth, Cebysa leucotelus.  According to Nature Watch:  “It is found in New Zealand and the southern half of Australia (Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia).  The adult female moth has black wings with yellow wingtips and patches, but they do not expand properly, so she is not able to fly. The male has a similar pattern and colouring, but has no iridescence. His wings are fully developed and adult males can fly normally.  The larvae feed on lichen.”

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Flightless Female Bagworm Moth from Australia

On · Category: Bagworm Moths Tagged With: · 1 Comment

Subject: BUG
Location: SYDNEY AUSTRALIA
October 19, 2013 2:11 pm
I PHOTOGRAPHED THIS INSECT IN MY BACKYARD LAST SUMMER.
CAN YOU PLEASE IDENTIFY THIS STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL INSECT.
I HAVE SEARCHED MANY SITES WITH NO RESULTS.
ITS ONLY SMALL NO MORE THEN 2CM HAS SMALL COLORFUL WINGS AND APPEARS FLIGHTLESS ONLY CRAWLS AND HOPS.
I HOPE YOU RECEIVE MY FILES
Signature: WHAT BUG IS IT

Female Bagworm Moth

Female Bagworm Moth

This is a flightless female Bagworm Moth, Cebysa leucotelus.  Your photos are excellent.  You can find additional information on Butterfly House.  We will be postdating your submission to go live in early November while we are out of the office. 

Female Bagworm Moth

Female Bagworm Moth

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Bagworm Moth from New Zealand

On · Category: Bagworm Moths · 11 Comments

Subject: Found a pair of these, metallic blue with orange and black
Location: New Zealand
March 12, 2013 6:57 pm
Hi we found two of these on our deck, it’s summer over here at the moment.
The bug looks like a form of ladybug with black and orange wings, and possibly a set of metallic blue wings over the top?
The antenna has white tips, and the legs look black,
The abdomen is the part that makes me think it’s not a ladybug….
We have never seen one before, and wondering what they are
Thanks heaps
Signature: Gizmo_RA2

Moth, We believe

Female Bagworm Moth

Dear Gizmo_RA2,
We believe this is a moth and that its wings haven’t fully expanded, but we have been unable to find a matching image online.  Perhaps one of our readers will have better luck than we had.

Chad provides an identification:  Bagworm Moth
Chad provided this link to a Bagworm Moth, Cebysa leucotelus.  According to the Landcare Research Manaaki Whenua website:  “Caterpillar forms an untidy bag to live in
Found on rock walls and houses. Feeds on minute algae and lichen
Adult female is often mistaken for a beetle. Adult female can fly, but only in short hops
Male is fully winged”

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Flightless Female Bagworm Moth from Australia

On · Category: Bagworm Moths Tagged With: · Add Comment

What’s this funny insect?
Location: Sydney, Australia
April 13, 2011 7:03 am
This creature was on the wall the other day. I have never seen anything like it. Any idea what it is? Is it dangerous? The spike on the back looks a bit scary!
Signature: Carey

Bagworm Moth

Dear Carey,
Just a few days ago, we had another identification request for this flightless female moth from Australia, and it was identified as a Bagworm Moth, Cebysa leucotelus.  Only the females are flightless.  We suspect that is an ovipositor protruding from her abdomen.

Female Bagworm Moth

Dear Daniel,
Thank you for that! I hope she laid her eggs outside first.
Carey

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Bagworm Moth lays eggs in Australia

On · Category: Bagworm Moths, Eggs Tagged With: · 3 Comments

unusual bug
Location: eastern suburbs Sydney
April 9, 2011 2:27 am
I came across this bug in my backyard 9/4/11. It’s about 8mm in body length.
Second image the next day after being kept under a glass. What looks like thousend of eggs!
Signature: Heinz57

Unknown Moth

Dear Heinz57,
This is a Moth, though we haven’t been able to come up with a conclusive identification.  We also don’t know if her wings failed to expand after metamorphosis, or if this is a flightless species with vestigial wings.  Many female Tussock Moths are flightless, and the markings on your specimen match those of Oligeria hemicalla pictured on the ButterflyHouse website, but we are unable to locate an image of a female moth.  The Painted Apple Moth is an example of a Tussock Moth in the family Lymantriidae that has a wingless female.  The photos on Wikipedia indicate that it is not your species, though the eggs look quite similar.  Perhaps one of our readers will be able to supply an identification.

Unknown Moth lays eggs

Karl provides an identification
Unknown flightless moth lays eggs in Australia
Hi Daniel and Heinz57:
The looks like a female Australian Bagmoth, Cebysa leucotelus (Psychidae). It is native to southern Australia and has recently shown up in New Zealand. Apparently the larvae feed on lichens growing on tree trunks, rocks, etc. and the lichen fragments get incorporated into the larval cases, or ‘bags’. Only the females are flightless. Regards. Karl

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