Do you mind a 'Name that Pest' ?

9 years ago

I have the most interesting thing eating the leaves off a Japanese maple. It's so interesting. I'll have to post pics separately, so please bear with me.

It's hard to see, but what stopped me from just pulling it off as a fallen leaf, was that it had some of that green plastic tape woven into it, that's used to tie up plants.

Then I noticed it also have leaves carefully organized, stems up, leaf stuff down.

THEN, I noticed it was moving. From place to place, and even breathing.

Looking closely, there's some kind of worm or bug in there that moves with its teeth and maybe front legs up and down the branches. I saw it holding a new leaf in its mouth, yet still holding onto the branches. When it saw me, it ducked into it's cocoon(?) nest(?) and just hung there. When it was safe, it started again.

It's so interesting, I can't just pick it off and throw this creature away!

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Comments (8)

CEFreeman
Original Author
9 years ago
I forgot to mention this thing is probably only about 1.5" long.

Sorry these cell pics are so bad. I think in this pic you can see it moving or eating the leaf stem.
CEFreeman
Original Author
9 years ago
Ok, this is holding something white behind it. Maybe a better pic?

Ooo. Please ignore my dirty, gardening fingernails.
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eaga
9 years ago
It's kinda hard to see from the pics, but from your description it sounds like a bagworm. If it's a small tree you can pick the insects and bags off and throw them in a bucket of soapy water. Now is the time to do it. They can be fun to look at, but bad for your tree.

Also, fyi there is a Garden Clinic forum here for questions about pests and diseases of plants, where you might get more responses.
CEFreeman
Original Author
9 years ago
I'll look that baby up.
Yes, anything eating the leaves can't be good, but it's just so darned interesting. My usual bugs are slugs, Japanese beetles, and some small fresh green colored bug that flies.

Never been to the Garden clinic. Boy, since 2004 they've acquired a lot of boards. iVillage soaked up two companies for which I was a monitor. Well, I guess it's nice to have all the info in one place!

Hmmm.. I'm thinking I might just try to move this fellow to a shrub I plan to rip out, anyway. Or... do they reproduce like crazy. Gotta do some research.

This post was edited by CEFreeman on Tue, Aug 12, 14 at 11:02
eaga
9 years ago
Yeah, if it is a bagworm it most certainly reproduces and can infest other trees and shrubs in a bad way. I couldn't find info about it on the Maryland Extension website, but here's something from Virginia:

Here is a link that might be useful: Bagworm VA extension
CEFreeman
Original Author
9 years ago
Oh, so sad. It's a bag worm.
I kinda felt like it was a bird incorporating different items into its bag. Like a little nest.

Well, I'm going to cut him off and put him down the toilet. Insecticides might not work, but drowning probably will.

I'll have to be on the looking next year.
I feel bad.
eaga
9 years ago
I don't like killing insects either if it can be avoided, but he (or she) would have died soon anyway. It's next year's brood that you want to avoid. And hey, she had a nice home and lots of juicy maple leaves to eat - sounds like she had a good life.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
why in the world would you flush it in a toilet ...

put it in a baggie and bury it in a landfill ... lol ...

using chemicals would be more efficient than having to call a plumber... crikey ...

bagworms usually use pieces of the plant they are on.. as a disguise... i wonder where yours got hort tape ... thats the weirdness for me

ken