Wooly Darkling Beetle vs Evergreen Bagworm Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Wooly Darkling Beetle Evergreen Bagworm Moth
Scientific Name Eleodes osculans Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Tenebrionidae Psychidae
Size 20-35 mm Males 25 mm wingspan; females wingless and legless
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Gardens
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions North America Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Wooly Darkling Beetle

A stout black beetle common in southwestern US deserts. It raises its abdomen in a defensive headstand posture when disturbed.

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Did You Know?

It sprays a foul-smelling quinone chemical from its rear end, earning it the nickname stink beetle.

Evergreen Bagworm Moth

A North American bagworm whose larvae construct spindle-shaped bags covered in bits of leaves and twigs. Heavy infestations can completely defoliate and kill ornamental evergreen trees.

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Did You Know?

The adult female is so reduced that she is essentially a bag of eggs with no wings, legs, eyes, or functional mouthparts.