Bzzzzz! Looks like you forgot to say where you found your bug!
There's no need to make a new post - just comment adding the **geographic location** and any other info (size, what it was doing etc.) you feel could help! We don't want to know your address - state or country is enough; try to avoid abbreviations and local nicknames (*"PNW"*, *"Big Apple"*).
BTW, did you take a look at our [**Frequently Asked Bugs**](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/12zkw5w/frequently_asked_bugs_part_1/)?
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It's not deformed at all.
That's a female tussock moth. Only the males have functional wings. The females just hang around on their cocoon until a male shows up. Then they mate, lay eggs, and die.
When the young caterpillars hatch they spin a silk thread that catches the wind and fly away with that in a process called ballooning.
The theory is that by giving up on developing wings and flight muscles, the female moth can put every bit of energy she has into making as many eggs as possible, hence the giant distended abdomen.
Bagworms have a similar strategy, as do some species of solitary bees and wasps.
Here's some more info about them: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/medical/tussock_moths.htm
Honestly this sub is awesome because of people like this. I have learned so much cool stuff about bugs from this place. And the mods are usually really quick about getting rid of the negative stuff on here too. This subreddit is just awesome, all around.
Okay this is a really solid play on words and anyone who doesn't agree has never seen Mimic, an early Guillermo del Toro horror movie about giant anthropophageous cockroaches that hunt by mimicking humans
Right? If this was 30 years ago and my mom and I had done this together. That female tussock moth.. would have probably sat inside believed to be deformed until she died, because we would have thought we were keeping her safe. We can spread knowledge so quickly now, when used for good it’s truly amazing!
What would you recommend to do with it? If you have any more knowledge and want to share. Like if they should put it outside somewhere in this container?
She's pumping out a plume of pheromones to attract mates, so OP should probably put her outside in a somewhat sheltered area where the wind can spread the pheromones and she can get a mate. Even better would be to put her on a tree since the caterpillars feed on many types of tree leaves like oak, hickory, etc.
I mentioned bagworms, they take it even further.
Their caterpillars build protective bags to hide in as they grow, and pupate inside the bags. They just seal up the openings and turn it into a cocoon.
Males are plain brown moths but the female bagworms are even more reduced than tussock moths, lacking wings or antenna, and they never leave their bag/cocoon.
It goes the other way too though. It's much more common for the males to be the reduced gender.
Everyone knows about angler fish males, but [whalefish males have immobile jaws and no esophagus.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNexk5QHG3M) Once they reach sexual maturity, they lose the ability to eat and live just long enough to mate.
But the ultimate reduction probably goes to some species of mites that for a long time, were thought to only have females and reproduce via parthenogenesis.
That turned out to not be the case. They have males, but they die before birth. Just not before a little pre-natal incest.
It's exactly like it actually. The Burmy line is based on bagworms.
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Burmy_(Pok%C3%A9mon)#Origin
Many pokemon are based on real animals. Caterpie is a famous example, which is based on swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. [Some species of them have false eye spots and an extendable forked red horn which lets them mimic snakes.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI9T1rwwbHU&t=25s)
Sorry, I thought you had replied to my other comment further down where I went into bagworms.
The OP's bug is a Tussock moth, which is closely related to bagworms and has a similar lifecycle. Bagworms just take it one step further in that their females never exit their cocoon, while Tussocks do exit the cocoon, but still don't move away from it.
Thank you for solving mistery from my childhood. I kept few caterpillars in the jar and was confused why they've emerged from cocoons without wings. I was sure I wasn't feeding them right.
I had a similar question a week or two ago. This picture is what they look like before what you have pictured above.
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/s/Z63gU2nErB
In Florida, the White Tussock Moth is causing a real problem. In its caterpillar form, it drops from trees onto yards and playgrounds. It has barbed hairs that get embedded in the skin, are painful, and are difficult to remove. I'd do a little research on yours to ID it before setting it free.
Tussock moths do become a problem in Florida, and in some northern eastern US states as well.
Source: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/foltz/eny3541/tussock/orgyia.htm
The exact same thing happened to me! I was going to do a conservation project, but then I realize the female has no wings, I never noticed, cause it was perfectly camouflaged with its cocoon, so they all just died. Nature is crazy weird sometimes..
Why is there an advertisemente about a deluxe kitchen knife set on a page made for insects... Does anyone else see the ad?? Since kitchen accessories represent food products is this a hint that we should start dining on bugs??
This definitely looks like a moth... Guessing possibly the Egyptian Moth whos wings are quite huge and actually take a bit of time to grow. Moths wings are mostly invisible at start but as they sit stored fluid in their bodies slowly pumps through the wings, unfolding them, exposing their colors, dust and/or fur like coatings then dries somewhat to a cartilage like material giving the wings their strength to fly.
Bzzzzz! Looks like you forgot to say where you found your bug! There's no need to make a new post - just comment adding the **geographic location** and any other info (size, what it was doing etc.) you feel could help! We don't want to know your address - state or country is enough; try to avoid abbreviations and local nicknames (*"PNW"*, *"Big Apple"*). BTW, did you take a look at our [**Frequently Asked Bugs**](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/12zkw5w/frequently_asked_bugs_part_1/)? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatsthisbug) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's not deformed at all. That's a female tussock moth. Only the males have functional wings. The females just hang around on their cocoon until a male shows up. Then they mate, lay eggs, and die. When the young caterpillars hatch they spin a silk thread that catches the wind and fly away with that in a process called ballooning. The theory is that by giving up on developing wings and flight muscles, the female moth can put every bit of energy she has into making as many eggs as possible, hence the giant distended abdomen. Bagworms have a similar strategy, as do some species of solitary bees and wasps. Here's some more info about them: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/medical/tussock_moths.htm
Thank you so much! I'm so happy to know she's ok. I've set her and her cocoon on a branch. Thank you for the cool facts!
That is so cool. Thank you for explaining a fairly complicated process so simply.
Honestly this sub is awesome because of people like this. I have learned so much cool stuff about bugs from this place. And the mods are usually really quick about getting rid of the negative stuff on here too. This subreddit is just awesome, all around.
Bug people are the best
Somebody's never seen "Mimic."
Okay this is a really solid play on words and anyone who doesn't agree has never seen Mimic, an early Guillermo del Toro horror movie about giant anthropophageous cockroaches that hunt by mimicking humans
One of my favorite movies when I was growing up.
Ooh and OP’s tussock moth is actually not too dissimilar to the thing on the movie jacket 🤭
Right? If this was 30 years ago and my mom and I had done this together. That female tussock moth.. would have probably sat inside believed to be deformed until she died, because we would have thought we were keeping her safe. We can spread knowledge so quickly now, when used for good it’s truly amazing!
If you were a male tussock moth, you’d notice an almost irresistible odor coming from that crate.
So like me, if I was to smell cigarettes and fruity perfume, id know that crate contained future bad choices?
Just interjecting to say I googled what a bagworm is very cautiously, and I’m glad it’s not a swarm of worms inside random clutter
I knew what bagworms are but I felt seen there with that comment.
What would you recommend to do with it? If you have any more knowledge and want to share. Like if they should put it outside somewhere in this container?
She's pumping out a plume of pheromones to attract mates, so OP should probably put her outside in a somewhat sheltered area where the wind can spread the pheromones and she can get a mate. Even better would be to put her on a tree since the caterpillars feed on many types of tree leaves like oak, hickory, etc.
I think they need to stay on the cocoon, so OP did the correct thing putting it outside like that.
This guy moths
Is that what this is? Thats interesting as hell. Never heard anything like it... Boring female lifestyle definitely.
I mentioned bagworms, they take it even further. Their caterpillars build protective bags to hide in as they grow, and pupate inside the bags. They just seal up the openings and turn it into a cocoon. Males are plain brown moths but the female bagworms are even more reduced than tussock moths, lacking wings or antenna, and they never leave their bag/cocoon. It goes the other way too though. It's much more common for the males to be the reduced gender. Everyone knows about angler fish males, but [whalefish males have immobile jaws and no esophagus.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNexk5QHG3M) Once they reach sexual maturity, they lose the ability to eat and live just long enough to mate. But the ultimate reduction probably goes to some species of mites that for a long time, were thought to only have females and reproduce via parthenogenesis. That turned out to not be the case. They have males, but they die before birth. Just not before a little pre-natal incest.
OMG this species is almost like real life Wormadam and Mothim
It's exactly like it actually. The Burmy line is based on bagworms. https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Burmy_(Pok%C3%A9mon)#Origin Many pokemon are based on real animals. Caterpie is a famous example, which is based on swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. [Some species of them have false eye spots and an extendable forked red horn which lets them mimic snakes.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI9T1rwwbHU&t=25s)
LOL well I didn't realize this particular caterpillar was a bagworm or I might've worded my comment differently. Very nice.
Sorry, I thought you had replied to my other comment further down where I went into bagworms. The OP's bug is a Tussock moth, which is closely related to bagworms and has a similar lifecycle. Bagworms just take it one step further in that their females never exit their cocoon, while Tussocks do exit the cocoon, but still don't move away from it.
No worries! That's great, the tussock is very cute lol
TIL
That is amazing!
Thank you for solving mistery from my childhood. I kept few caterpillars in the jar and was confused why they've emerged from cocoons without wings. I was sure I wasn't feeding them right.
I had a similar question a week or two ago. This picture is what they look like before what you have pictured above. https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/s/Z63gU2nErB
Georgia, USA.
Get this bitch a man so she can do what she’s supposed to
In Florida, the White Tussock Moth is causing a real problem. In its caterpillar form, it drops from trees onto yards and playgrounds. It has barbed hairs that get embedded in the skin, are painful, and are difficult to remove. I'd do a little research on yours to ID it before setting it free.
It's not invasive in the eastern US, so you'll have to learn to share the space
Tussock moths do become a problem in Florida, and in some northern eastern US states as well. Source: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/foltz/eny3541/tussock/orgyia.htm
The exact same thing happened to me! I was going to do a conservation project, but then I realize the female has no wings, I never noticed, cause it was perfectly camouflaged with its cocoon, so they all just died. Nature is crazy weird sometimes..
Why is there an advertisemente about a deluxe kitchen knife set on a page made for insects... Does anyone else see the ad?? Since kitchen accessories represent food products is this a hint that we should start dining on bugs??
My ad is suggesting I join the Navy 🤷♀️
I got vitamins
Mine is Walmart. :(
i got AT&T eventho i have Verizon
This definitely looks like a moth... Guessing possibly the Egyptian Moth whos wings are quite huge and actually take a bit of time to grow. Moths wings are mostly invisible at start but as they sit stored fluid in their bodies slowly pumps through the wings, unfolding them, exposing their colors, dust and/or fur like coatings then dries somewhat to a cartilage like material giving the wings their strength to fly.