Скачать или смотреть The Bagworm Moth

Liothula omnivora, the common bag moth, is a psychid moth endemic to New Zealand. It is also known by several Māori vernacular names like the tūngou ngou

This species was described by Richard William Fereday in 1878. In 1928 George Hudson placed this species within the Oeceticus genus and amended its epithet to omnivorous. However this was not accepted by other taxonomists.

Like other bagworms, L. omnivora caterpillars construct and live within a small, mobile, tapering bag of silk, which provides camouflage and protection to the caterpillar. The bag is lengthened at the broad or mouth end as the caterpillar grows. The caterpillar secures itself within the bag using hooks on its anterior prolegs, allowing it to extend the head and thorax while dragging the bag behind it. When threatened, it quickly retreats into the bag and draws the mouth tightly closed. The caterpillar begins construction of its bag within a few days of hatching. Initially the bag is held erect, but as the caterpillar grows larger the bag trails behind and beneath the insect.

The exterior of the bag is often decorated with small leaf and bark fragments. The quantity and placement of these fragments indicates the sex of the caterpillar - females have few fragments and mostly placed towards the narrow end of the bag, whilst males attach many fragments along the length of the bag.

The caterpillar itself has a black or brown and white speckled head and thorax, with the remainder of the body being plain brown. Female caterpillars grow larger, with the average bag of pupal females measuring 45 mm compared to pupal male bags averaging 42 mm.

As the scientific name suggests, the caterpillars of L. omnivora feed on a very wide range of native and exotic broad-leaved and coniferous shrubs and trees, which they feed on at night. They feed on the foliage, but may occasionally constrict twigs so tightly that sap flow is restricted and gall-like swellings occur.

Pupation usually occurs during winter. When ready to pupate, L. omnivora permanently secures the bag to a twig using a wide band of silk or to larger surfaces by a mat of many short lengths of silk. They then close both ends and add an extra lining of silk to the interior, and then pupate within the bag. @selyan1980


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