bagworm

[bag-wurm]

noun

1. any moth of the family Psychidae in its caterpillar phase, in which it wraps itself in a bag of silk, leaves, etc.

bagworm

/ ˈbæɡˌwɜːm /

noun

1. the larva of moths of the family Psychidae , which forms a protective case of silk covered with grass, leaves, etc

2. any moth of the family Psychidae

Word History and Origins

Origin of bagworm¹

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65; bag + worm

Example Sentences

He was referring to the larvae of the bagworm moth that grow and feed on trees.

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More immediately, cast an eye on your needled evergreens for a more pernicious and furtive insect named the bagworm.

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They considered five species to be dangerous, and they took one—a bagworm moth—back to Europe to study its appetite for broadleaved trees.

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Clockwise from top left, sweetgum balls; a red admiral butterfly; a twig teepee that houses the pupa of bagworm moth; and maple eyespot gall, created by midge fly  larvae after they hatch.

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We find a tiny teepee constructed of twigs on the underside of a leaf, home to an immature caterpillar of a bagworm moth.

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