CLOSED: what is this crazy cocoon??

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eom Chicago, IL Sep 23, 2008

http://i35.tinypic.com/etdt1e.jpg


here it is hanging head high.
those spikey things are apparently twigs from a rosemary plant maybe 6 feet away on the porch..

oh --- it's about normal cocoon size.

what would make something like this??

Thumbnail by eom
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Sheila_FW Fort Worth, TX(Zone 8a) Sep 23, 2008

Nasty little critter the bagworm is my guess. I had a simular one identified as one. Check out this site and click on the pics.
http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=bagworm&search=Search

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claypa West Pottsgrove, PA(Zone 6b) Sep 23, 2008

Yes, moths in the family Psychidae will make those. This one is common, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/259/

I cut and pasted that name, that's a real mouthful! They usually make their bags on the host plant, I wonder why it chose that spot instead?

Post #5587896
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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Sep 23, 2008

Mature bagworm larvae occasionally will drag their bags some distance from their host plant before firmly attaching the bag for transformation into the adult stage.

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eom Chicago, IL Sep 23, 2008

thx for the help --- I'll bet that's it.

I had never seen a cocoon made from bits of plants.

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ceejaytown The Woodlands, TX(Zone 9a) Sep 24, 2008

It's not just a cocoon. It's also living quarters for the female, who drags it along with her as she eats, and eats, and eats...

Post #5591782
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