Common Bagworm Moth

Common Bagworm Moth

Psyche casta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Chicago

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

8 Verified sightings at Chicago
37 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Bagworm Moth

Psyche casta is a nocturnal moth from the family Psychidae, the bagworm moths. The wingspan of the males ranges from 12 to 15 millimeters. They have hairy, brown-metallic shiny wings. The grub-like females have legs but do not have wings and are yellowish or light brown, except for some dark brown back plates.

The host plants are from the groups: Poaceae, birch, willow, poplar and Vaccinium. The caterpillars make a protective hull from grass. The flight time ranges from May to July. Originally from the Old World, they have been introduced in North America. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
3 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
4 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
2 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Amsterdam 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~10%
4 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Rotterdam [The Hague] 🇳🇱 Netherlands
<5%
6 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Munich 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
9 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
<5%
10 Miami 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Bagworm Moth in Chicago?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Bagworm Moth sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 706th most-seen of the 978 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Bagworm Moth in Chicago?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Bagworm Moth in Chicago on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Common Bagworm Moth?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Bagworm Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Chicago the best place to see a Common Bagworm Moth?

18th of 18

Of the 18 cities where we can rate Common Bagworm Moth sightings, Chicago ranks 18th at under 5%. The best odds are in London (United Kingdom, about 10%), Boston (United States, about 10%) and Amsterdam (Netherlands, about 10%).

Where does the Common Bagworm Moth sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Bagworm Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Chicago (8 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Chicago