We have these in the inside and outside of our house. I always wondered what they were. I would sometimes watch the wormy guy doing his thing, crawling up the wall dragging his pod-house behind him. He would sometimes pop into his house from one end and pop out the other end! Whatda?
This particular guy was in our bathroom the other day, and I finally grabbed my camera and took several pictures. I did a Google image search . . . did you know you can do that? I think it's so cool.
And now I know what Pod Guy is. He's a moth in its caterpillar/larva stage!! Howzdat, hah?! The common name is Household Casebearer. The scientific name is Phereoeca uterella.
I got the following info from here:
The case is constructed by the earliest larval stage (1st instar) before it hatches, and is enlarged by each successive instar. In constructing the case, the larva secretes silk to build an arch attached at both ends to the substrate. Very small particles of sand, soil, iron rust, insect droppings, arthropod remains, hairs and other fibers are added on the outside. The inside of the arch is lined exclusively by silk, and is gradually extended to form a tunnel, while the larva stays inside. The tunnel is closed beneath by the larva to form a tube free from the substrate, and open at both ends. After the first case is completed, the larva starts moving around, pulling its case behind. With each molt, the larva enlarges its case. Later cases are flattened and widest in the middle, allowing the larva to turn around inside. A fully developed larva has a case 8 to 14 mm long and 3 to 5 mm wide.
13 comments:
Oh, no. I love moths, and had no idea these were larvae, so I'd vacuum them up or pick them up with kleenex and dump them in the toilet. Bad me. Never again. I will gather them and put them outside from now on (like I do with geckos and spiders -- roaches and flies, no mercy).
Oh wow those things get sucked up by my vacuum!
yup you should get rid of it before it hatches into a moth
Yup, we got those too. At first I thought it was giant lizard poop. Art figured it was some kind of moth, but we didn't know what kind. Thank you for the info. Noooow we know.
Jalna, I know that you are such an animal lover but GET RID of IT! I used to have so many of those hanging things and I think they are bah humbug!
Hahahaha, Lorna . . . hard to be merciful with roaches and flies, yah!
Looks like rubbish yah, Susan.
Now I know why I got lotsa moths in my house, Kat.
Art is so smart, Kay!
Aunty, I'll throw them outside my house now, but outside already got lots too!!
Taste's like chicken? ; )
😆 Mark.
ewwwwwwwwwww. I wonder if we got these, I gotta show this to Randy
j: I have never seen those things and I've lived on Maui which had every kind of bug due to the sugar cane fields. I saw or had lots of those pale thorny cases that use to hang down everywhere but nevah see the actual bug. Not that I would ever want to either. -N
We have choke, Les.
I'm kinda surprised that you and Les haven't seen them because they're so common at my house.
I always wondered what those things were. Thanks!
LOL, welcome, Dean!
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