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Photo#218375
I think this is a bagworm & its cocoon?

I think this is a bagworm & its cocoon?
Pine Hill, NJ (South Jersey), New Jersey, USA
August 25, 2008
Size: About 2 inches
The story is located here:
http://colslife.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/strange-cocoon/

Images of this individual: tag all
I think this is a bagworm & its cocoon? I think this is a bagworm & its cocoon? I think this is a bagworm & its cocoon?

Moved
Moved from Bagworm Moths.

Yes, bagworm moth
more like it are under family Psychidae in the guide. Not strictly speaking a cocoon, though, since it's not pupating yet. Just a bag. : ) I like your story. Please add the other images (click on "add image" under this one) - it's unusual to see one of these captured in action. I'm not sure if these guys are host-specific, but it's often helpful to know what caterpilars are feeding on (Japanese Maple, as you say in the story).

Welcome to BugGuide!

 
Bagworm
OK so I had company over this weekend and someone said "OH NO! You have BAGWORMS!" They told me to pluck every cocoon off of the tree, put them in a ziplock bag and toss them in the garbage. She claims they will kill the entire tree, then move on to the next tree and so on. Is this true? I've been enjoying watching them but I definitely don't want to see my tree go!

 
Depends how many you have, and how big the tree is
- most trees can stand quite a lot of foliage loss (say 25%) with no long-term ill effects. A stressed-out tree (by drought for example) will not fare so well, and is more likely to attract insects in the first place (defenses are down). Since you're closely monitoring these guys, you can probably decide for yourself how much damage you're willing to tolerate. A small population is not going to strip a tree overnight, I imagine. No doubt there are predators around your yard, too.

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