UKMoths Psyche casta - Distribution map
Please note that the NBN Gateway map service has been terminated as of 1 April 2017.
As soon as a replacement map service is available, distribution maps will hopefully appear here again.
In the meantime, you can get some idea of distribution from the NBN Atlas website.
11.012 BF186
Psyche casta
(Pallas, 1767)
Wingspan 12-15 mm.
Known as 'bagworms' or 'case-bearers', the larvae of the Psychidae construct cases from fragments of plant material, in this instance, pieces of grass. The case is attached to a tree trunk or foliage, or quite often to a wooden fence or gate.
The larvae feed on grasses, lichens and decaying vegetable matter.
The adult males are plain, dull brownish moths. The females are wingless and grub-like in appearance. Both sexes emerge between May and July.
The species is fairly common throughout the British Isles, but becoming less so further north.
More images
