Have you ever heard of bag moths? They are not literally moths in a bag, rather caterpillars in a bag, or a case. Until I stumbled on a specimen at Dunedin Botanic Gardens the other morning, I had never heard of them, let alone seen one. What at first looked like a twig was rustling on a shrub beside me. As I looked closely, the head of a fat caterpillar popped up from it.
Credit: Yalakom
Credit: Yalakom
The larva was simultaneously hanging on to a leaf and hooked onto its twig-like bag from the inside thanks to its tiny prolegs— Continue reading
