Psychidae

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Superfamilia: Tineoidea

Familia: Psychidae
Subfamiliae (10):
Epichnopteriginae - Metisinae - Naryciinae - Oiketicinae - Placodominae - Pseudarbelinae - Psychinae - Scoriodytinae - Taleporiinae - Typhoniinae
Genera incertae sedis

Afropsyche – Albidopsis – Amiantastis – Antillonatus – Apaphristis – Apoecis – Aprata – Asynetha – Barandra – Basicladus – Brachygyna – Cerathopsyche – Colpotorna – Commotrias – Conoeca – Criocharacta – Ctenocompa – Deborreides – Deloscopa – Diaphanopsyche – Dichromopsyche – Dierla – Dipyle – Elegistis – Elinostola – Eumasia – Fallacipsyche – Gyrophylla – Iphierga – Janseides – Kearfottia – Lamyristis – Lasioctena – Malacograptis – Malgassopsyche – Masonia – Mecynopla – Metacharistis – Metasticha – Metura – Monda – Napecoetes – Neocoloneura – Neomeristis – Neoplacodoma – Obtexocorytus – Oecobia – Oedonia – Perisceptis – Picronarycia – Piestoceros – Plutorectis – Pseudometisa – Psomocolax – Psychanisa – Psychites – Psychocentra – Pterogyne – Pyraphlecta – Rasicota – Reductoderces – Rhathamictis – Sclerophricta – Sematocera – Sphaericobathra – Sentica – Sindonophora – Standfussia – Sucinopsyche – Titanomis – Trapezoritis – Trachypsamma – Tretoscopa – Trigonocyttara – Zelomora
Name

Psychidae Boisduval, 1829.

Type genus: Psyche Schrank, 1801.
Synonyms

Psychoidae Agassiz, 1848
Animulina Herrich-Schäffer, 1855
Canephoridae Herrich-Schäffer, 1853
Micropsychiniidae Gomez Bustillo, 1979

References

Núñez Aguila, R. & Davis, D.R. 2016. Antillopsyche sessilis, new genus and species, a new Psychidae (Lepidoptera: Tineoidea) from Cuba with an unusual larval feeding behavior. Zootaxa 4066(1): 52–62. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4066.1.3. Reference page.
Núñez Aguila, R.N. & Davis, D.R. 2016. Antillonatus, a new replacement name for the generic homonym Antillopsyche Núñez & Davis, 2016 (Lepidoptera: Tineoidea: Psychidae). Zootaxa 4079(5): 595–595. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4079.5.6.Reference page.
Davis, D.R., 1975: A review of the West Indian Moths of the family Psychidae with describtion of new taxa and immature stages. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 188: 1–66. Full article: [1].
Davis, D.R., 2001: Brachygna incae, A New Genus and Species of Psychidae from Peru with Atypical Larval Biology (Lepidoptera: Tineoidea). Journal of Tropical Lepidoptera 10(2): 51–58.
Hampson, G.F., 1910: Descriptions of new African moths. Annals And Magazine of Natural History, 6 (8): 116–141. Full article: [2]
Hättenschwiler, P., 1985: Zwei neue Psychiden aus dem West-Himalaya (Lepidoptera, Psychidae). Nota Lepidopterologica 8 (1): 25—28.
Nel, J., 1999: Espèces nouvelles ou rarement signalés de microlépidoptères de France. Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 104 (4): 347–355.
Sauter, W. & P. Hättenschwiler, 1991: Zum System der palaearktischen Psychiden (Lep. Psychidae) 1. Teil: Liste der palaearktischen Arten. Nota Lepidopterologica 14 (1): 69—89.
Sauter, W. & P. Hättenschwiler, 1999: Zum System der palaearktischen Psychiden (Psychidae) 2. Teil: Bestimmungsschlüssel für die Gattungen. Nota Lepidopterologica 22 (4): 262—295.
Sauter, W. & P. Hättenschwiler, 2004: Zum System der palaearktischen Psychidae. 3. Teil: Bestimmungsschlüssel für die Säcke. Nota Lepidopterologica 27 (1): 59—69. Full article: [3].
Sobczyk, T. 2009: Beiträge zur Kenntnis der orientalischen Psychidae (Lepidoptera) II. Revision der Degia-Gattungsgruppe sowie der Gattung Westia (Typhoniinae LEDERER, 1853) mit der Beschreibung neuer Gattungen und Arten. Entomofauna 30: 365–436.
Sobczyk, T. 2011. World Catalogue of Insects. Volume 10: Psychidae (Lepidoptera). Apollo Books, Stenstrup: 467 pp. ISBN 978-87-88757-98-9. Reference page.
Urra Lagos, F. 2016a. Neoplacodoma, new genus and species of Psychidae (Lepidoptera: Tineoidea) from Central Chile. Boletín del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural 65: 153-160. full article (PDF). Reference page.
Weidlich, M., 2012: Zur Schmetterlings-Fauna der Zagoria im Voria Pindos (Griechenland) mit der Beschreibung einer neuen Psychidenart (Lepidoptera, Psychidae). Linzer Biologische Beiträge 44 (2): 1237- 1262.

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Sackträger
English: Bagworm moth
suomi: Pussikkaat
日本語: ミノガ科
中文: 蓑蛾科

The Psychidae (bagworm moths, also simply bagworms or bagmoths) are a family of the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). The bagworm family is fairly small, with about 1,350 species[2] described. Bagworm species are found globally, with some, such as the snailcase bagworm (Apterona helicoidella), in modern times settling continents where they are not native.

Another common name for the Psychidae is "case moths", but this is just as well used for the case-bearers (Coleophoridae). The names refer to the habits of caterpillars of these two families, which build small protective cases in which they can hide. The bagworms belong to the superfamily Tineoidea, which is a basal lineage of the Ditrysia (as is Gelechioidea, which includes case-bearers). This means that the bagworms and case-bearers are only as closely related to each other as either is to butterflies (Rhopalocera).

Most bagworms are inoffensive to humans and inconspicuous; some are occasional nuisance pests. However, a few species can become more serious pests, and have caused significant damage e.g. to wattle (Acacia mearnsii) in South Africa and orange (Citrus × sinensis) in Florida. If detected early, picking the cases from the trees while in their pupa stage is an effective way to check an infestation; otherwise, insecticides are used. One bagworm species, the fangalabola (Deborrea malgassa) of Madagascar, is in some places encouraged to breed on wattle trees, because its pupae are collected as a protein-rich food.
Description

The caterpillar larvae of the Psychidae construct cases out of silk and environmental materials such as sand, soil, lichen, or plant materials. These cases are attached to rocks, trees or fences while resting or during their pupa stage, but are otherwise mobile. The larvae of some species eat lichen, while others prefer green leaves. In many species, the adult females lack wings and are therefore difficult to identify accurately. Case-bearer cases are usually much smaller, flimsier, and consist mainly of silk, while bagworm "bags" resemble caddisfly cases in their outward appearance – a mass of (mainly) plant detritus spun together with silk on the inside.

Bagworm cases range in size from less than 1 cm to 15 cm among some tropical species. Each species makes a case particular to its species, making the case more useful to identify the species than the creature itself. Cases among the more primitive species are flat. More specialized species exhibit a greater variety of case size, shape, and composition, usually narrowing on both ends. The attachment substance used to affix the bag to host plant, or structure, can be very strong, sometimes requiring a great deal of force to remove. Body markings are rare. Adult females of many bagworm species are larviform, with only vestigial wings, legs, and mouthparts. In some species, parthenogenesis is known. The adult males of most species are strong fliers with well-developed wings and feathery antennae but survive only long enough to reproduce due to underdeveloped mouthparts that prevent them from feeding. Most male bagworm wings have few of the scales characteristic of most moths, instead having a thin covering of hairs.

"Bag" of Pachythelia villosella (Oiketicinae)

"Bag" of Pachythelia villosella (Oiketicinae)
Adult specimen of Phalacropterix graslinella (Oiketicinae)

Adult specimen of Phalacropterix graslinella (Oiketicinae)
Bagworm larva in the Negev (April 2014). Case is made mostly of feathery stork's bill seeds (Erodium cicutarium).

Bagworm larva in the Negev (April 2014). Case is made mostly of feathery stork's bill seeds (Erodium cicutarium).
Bagworm (possibly Hyalarcta huebneri) extending its forequarters from its case in the act of locomotion.

Bagworm (possibly Hyalarcta huebneri) extending its forequarters from its case in the act of locomotion.

Ecology

In the larval stage, bagworms extend their head and thorax from their mobile case to devour the leaves of host plants, often leading to the death of their hosts. Trees infested with bagworms exhibit increasingly damaged foliage as the infestation increases until the leaves are stripped bare. Some bagworms are specialized in their host plants (monophagous), while others can feed on a variety of plant species (polyphagous). A few species also consume small arthropods (such as the camphor scale Pseudaonidia duplex, a scale insect). One bagworm species was found to eat an orb-web of Plebs sachalinensis (Araneae, Araneidae) entirely.[3]

Since bagworm cases are composed of silk and the materials from their habitat, they are naturally camouflaged from predators. Predators include birds and other insects. Birds often eat the egg-laden bodies of female bagworms after they have died. Since the eggs are very hard-shelled, they can pass through the bird's digestive system unharmed, promoting the spread of the species over wide areas. [4]

A bagworm begins to build its case as soon as it hatches. Once the case is built, only adult males ever leave the case, never to return, when they take flight to find a mate. Bagworms add material to the front of the case as they grow, excreting waste materials through the opening in the back of the case. When satiated with leaves, a bagworm caterpillar secures its case and pupates. The adult female, which is wingless, either emerges from the case long enough for breeding or remains in the case while the male extends his abdomen into the female's case to breed.[5] Females lay their eggs in their case and die. The female evergreen bagworm (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis) dies without laying eggs, and the larval bagworm offspring emerge from the parent's body. Some bagworm species are parthenogenetic, meaning their eggs develop without male fertilization. Each bagworm generation lives just long enough as adults to mate and reproduce in their annual cycle. [6]
Systematics

Ten subfamilies[1] and about 240 genera are recognized among the bagworms.

The subfamilies of Psychidae, with some notable genera and species also listed, are:

Subfamily Epichnopteriginae

Acentra
Bijugis
Epichnopterix
Epichnopterix plumella
Heliopsychidea
Mauropterix
Montanima
Psychidea
Psychocentra
Rebelia
Reisseronia
Stichobasis
Stichobasis postmeridianus
Whittleia
Whittleia retiella

Subfamily Naryciinae

Dahlica Enderlein, 1912
Dahlica triquetrella
Eosolenobia Filipjev, 1924
Narycia
Postsolenobia Meier, 1958
Siederia

Subfamily Oiketicinae

Apterona
Apterona helicoidella – (snailcase bagworm)
Canephora
Canephora hirsuta
Cryptothelea (= Platoeceticus)
Cryptothelea gloverii
Astala
Kotochalia
Kotochalia junodi – (wattle bagworm)
Hyalarcta
Deborrea
Deborrea malgassa – (fangalabola)
Eumeta
Eumeta crameri – (faggot worm)
Megalophanes
Megalophanes viciella
Oiketicus
Zamopsyche
Eucoloneura
Pachythelia
Phalacropterix
Ptilocephala
Ptilocephala plumifera
Sterrhopterix
Sterrhopterix fusca
Thyridopteryx

Subfamily Placodominae

Placodoma

Subfamily Psychinae

Liothula
Liothula omnivora
Luffia
Luffia ferchaultella
Luffia lapidella
Psyche
Psyche casta
Psyche crassiorella
Psyche rassei
Psyche saxicolella
Prochalia

Subfamily Taleporiinae

Bankesia Tutt, 1899
Bankesia conspurcatella
Brevantennia Sieder, 1953
Cebysa
Cebysa leucotelus – (Australian bagmoth)
Diplodoma
Diplodoma adspersella
Eotaleporia Sauter, 1986
Praesolenobia Sieder, 1954
Pseudobankesia Meier, 1963
Sciopetris Meyrick, 1891
Taleporia

Subfamily Typhoniinae

Typhonia
Typhonia animosa
Typhonia bimaculata

Incertae sedis

Eumasia
Eumasia crisostomella
Eumasia parietariella (Heydenreich, 1851)
Iphierga
Iphierga chrysophaes Turner, 1917

Subfamily Scoriodytinae

Scoriodyta Meyrick, 1888
Scoriodyta conisalia Meyrick, 1888

Subfamily Metisinae

Metisa Hampson, 1895
Metisa canifrons Hampson, 1895

Subfamily Pseudarbelinae

Pseudarbela Sauber, 1902
Pseudarbela celaena (Bethune-Baker, 1904)
Pseudarbela aurea (Bethune-Baker, 1904)
Pseudarbela papuana Clench, 1959
Pseudarbela semperi Sauber, 1902
Casana Walker, 1865
Casana trochiloides Walker, 1865
Linggana Roepke, 1957
Linggana cardinaali Roepke, 1957

References

Nieukerken, Erik J. Van; Kaila, Lauri; Kitching, Ian J.; Kristensen, Niels P.; Lees, David C.; Minet, Joël; Mitter, Charles; Mutanen, Marko; Regier, Jerome C.; Simonsen, Thomas J.; Wahlberg, Niklas; Yen, Shen-Horn; Zahiri, Reza; Adamski, David; Baixeras, Joaquin; Bartsch, Daniel; Bengtsson, Bengt Å.; Brown, John W.; Bucheli, Sibyl Rae; Davis, Donald R.; Prins, Jurate De; Prins, Willy De; Epstein, Marc E.; Gentili-Poole, Patricia; Gielis, Cees; Hättenschwiler, Peter; Hausmann, Axel; Holloway, Jeremy D.; Kallies, Axel; Karsholt, Ole; Kawahara, Akito Y.; Koster, Sjaak J. C.; Kozlov, Mikhail V.; Lafontaine, J. Donald; Lamas, Gerardo; Landry, Jean-François; Lee, Sangmi; Nuss, Matthias; Park, Kyu-Tek; Penz, Carla; Rota, Jadranka; Schintlmeister, Alexander; Schmidt, B. Christian; Sohn, Jae-Cheon; Solis, M. Alma; Tarmann, Gerhard M.; Warren, Andrew D.; Weller, Susan; Yakovlev, Roman V.; Zolotuhin, Vadim V.; Zwick, Andreas (23 December 2011). "Order Lepidoptera Linnaeus, 1758. In : Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness". Zootaxa. 3148 (1): 212–221. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3148.1.41.
Sobczyk, Thomas (2011). World Catalogue of Insects: Psychidae (Lepidoptera). UWA Publishing. ISBN 978-87-88757-98-9.[page needed]
Koshidaka, Naoki; Takasuka, Keizo (5 August 2019). "Discovery of a bagworm devouring an orb web". Arachnology. 18 (2): 147. doi:10.13156/arac.2018.18.2.147. S2CID 201572602.
Barbosa, Pedro; Krischik, Vera; Lance, David (October 1989). "Life-history Traits of Forest-inhabiting Flightless Lepidoptera". The American Midland Naturalist. 122 (2): 262–274. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
Resh, Vincent H.; Cardé, Ring T. (2009). Encyclopedia of Insects. Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-08-092090-0.[page needed]
Davis, Donald Ray; Quintero A., Diomedes; Cambra T., Roberto A. (July 2008). "Biology of a New Panamanian Bagworm Moth (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) with Predatory Larvae, and Eggs Individually Wrapped in Setal Cases". Annals of the Entomological Society of America;. 101 (4): 689–702. Retrieved 26 October 2022.