Q&A – What is this hanging in my Junipers? Is it a bagworm?
Question:
What is this hanging in my Junipers? Is it a bagworm?
Answer:
This is not a bagworm. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison says this is the egg sack of a tropical tent-web spider. This spider is not native to the US and was first found in Florida a few years ago. It is a pest in tropical citrus and coffee plantations because the webs are so thick they can block photosynthesis. Mike says they can be considered beneficials and may be controlled by the colder winters in the US.
Related Videos:
Bagworms
Beneficial Garden Bugs
Related Resources:
A colonial tentweb orbweaver
Cyrtophora citricola (Araneae: Araneidae), a Colonial Tentweb Orbweaver Established in Florida
What is this hanging in my Junipers? Is it a bagworm?
Answer:
This is not a bagworm. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison says this is the egg sack of a tropical tent-web spider. This spider is not native to the US and was first found in Florida a few years ago. It is a pest in tropical citrus and coffee plantations because the webs are so thick they can block photosynthesis. Mike says they can be considered beneficials and may be controlled by the colder winters in the US.
Related Videos:
Bagworms
Beneficial Garden Bugs
Related Resources:
A colonial tentweb orbweaver
Cyrtophora citricola (Araneae: Araneidae), a Colonial Tentweb Orbweaver Established in Florida