Eumasia venefica : New Species Of Bagworm Moth
Researchers from the Zoology Department at St. Thomas College (Autonomous), Thrissur, have discovered a new species of bagworm moth, Wizard Bagworm, from near the Nariyampara falls in Idukki district.
- The new species has been named due to the peculiar shape of its bag, which resembles a wizard’s hat.
- It is the fourth species of this genus to be discovered from India.
- It has the clever camouflage employed to escape predators.
- Larval cases of this species are found attached to rocks covered with lichens.
- The cases attach to each other and form a lichen covered colony.
- The larval bags look like a ‘witch’s hat’ because of a disc-like anterior and a tubular posterior part.
- It is not a polyphagous pest as its larvae only feed on the algae and mosses on the rocks.
- Bagworm moth are a family of moths belonging to the order Lepidoptera and are known for their protective larval cases.
- These moths are found worldwide, but primarily in North America and Africa.
