Researchers discover “artistic” moth in Panama

Researchers discover “artistic” moth in Panama

Researchers have discovered a new species of Bagworm Moth that wraps its eggs individually in “beautiful cases” fashioned from its golden abdominal hairs, according to a new paper published in the Annals of the Entomology Society of America. The behavior is unique among insects.

“We were mystified when we found a bizarre bag-like structure, about 12 mm long, studded with fragments of other insects, and containing a live insect larva,” said Diomedes Quintero, a professor of biology at the University of Panama who collected the larvae.

The egg cases “may help protect carnivorous siblings from one another and may keep other predators away during development,” according to a statement released by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

The larvae bagworm of the newly discovered are apparently carnivorous and unlike other related species, are not mobile. The larvae attaches one end to a surface—often a leaf—and grabs passing insect prey—including spiders, grasshoppers and katydids, flies, beetles, wasps and ants—with its free end.

Bagworm’s pupal case. Image courtesy of STRI

Adult male Bagworm. Image courtesy of STRI

Article published by Rhett Butler

Animal Behavior, Biodiversity, Environment, Green, Insects, New Species, Species Discovery, Strange, Wildlife

Central America, Latin America, Panama

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