Species Details

ABH: 11.012

BF: 186

Family: Psychidae

Subfamily: Psychinae

Taxon: Psyche casta

Authority: (Pallas, 1767)

Vernacular: Common Bagworm

Account: Common throughout the British Isles, less numerous in the north, female wingless. The distinctive case of the larva is often easily found attached to leaves and tree trunks, while the winged male is very infrequently observed, but will occasionally come to light; male dull brown, female wingless and grub-like, generally smaller than the much scarcer P. crassiorella. Larva feeds on various grasses, dead leaves, various lichens and decaying vegetable matter, living within a movable case; case length 8-12 mm.

Accounts provided by and used with the kind permission of Mike Wall, Hampshire County Moth Recorder. These will in due course be gradually replaced with species accounts with a Surrey context.

Wingspan: male 11 — 15 mm; female wingless

Surrey Flight Period: 31 May (2003) — 10 Jul (2025)

The flight period of overwintering adults are not given. See the flight chart below the distribution map.

Foodplant: Gramineae.

Foodplant accounts are from the HOSTS database — Natural History Museum, London, UK. (CC0).

Status: Common

UK BAP:

WCA:

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 2m

Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/psyche-casta/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 160

Individuals: 29

Earliest Year: 2001

Latest Year: 2025

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