We were getting ready to tackle a farm project when we noticed a shrub near the garage seemed to have a piece of dead vegetation on it, moving wildly. There wasn’t much of a breeze, so we took a closer look.
The part that was moving was hanging from the bottom of a branch, and while the rest of the plant was green, it was a dry brownish color. As we kept watching, a caterpillar emerged from the top and was clearly responsible for the movement – wavings its house around. Strange, indeed.
You might already know what this creature was, but we needed to do some research. It’s aptly named: a bagworm. When you see these larvae in action, the name makes sense – they carry a little “sack” around that they add vegetation to, finally sealing themselves into this camouflaged sleeping bag and metamorphosing into a moth (at least the males do).
Bagworms are considered pests because they can kill plants, but you have give at least grudging respect to an insect that creates a natural ghillie suit – if it hadn’t been moving, we wouldn’t have noticed it. Another of nature’s marvels!