Scientific Name: Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis Haworth

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Psychidae – there are approximately 1,000 species belonging to this family; the larvae are enclosed in a bag and most species have flightless adult females.

Common Name: bag worm; also known as Evergreen bag worm, Eastern bag worm, Common bag worm, common basket worm, and North American Bag worm.

The bag worm will feed on over fifty families of deciduous and evergreen trees or shrubs, but are more commonly found on Arborvitae and Juniper.  Feeding damage on evergreens can cause branch tips to appear brown; during the summer the larvae can cause severe defoliation or death.  Localized infestations can occur as the bag worm moves from it’s mother’s host plant.  If the bag worms can not be controlled by hand picking the insect and placing in a bucket of warm, soapy water then it is necessary to resort to chemical forms of control.  To learn more about bag worms visit a University of Florida’s IFAS Extension office or contact LMP to speak with one of our pest control professionals (877)LMPPRO1.

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