Kauaʻi record · KCA-IA-00343
Brachycyttarus griseus
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About Brachycyttarus griseus
Brachycyttarus griseus is the grass bagworm.
Natural history and identification
Brachycyttarus griseus is the grass bagworm. Its caterpillar carries a protective case made with plant fragments, so the visible “bag” is a larval structure rather than the adult moth. The Hawaiian introduction paper records spread to Kauaʻi and feeding on the introduced grass Paspalum conjugatum. Plant pieces used to construct the case need not all be food plants. The published association supports a grass-feeding account without implying equivalent damage to every lawn or native grass.
Kauaʻi occurrence and evidence
Atlas occurrence category: Present. Known from Oʻahu and Kauaʻi since earlier Hawaiian records.
Evidence limits
The cited observations describe the evidence currently available for this account. They do not establish a complete life history or a measured current Kauaʻi population trend.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Brachycyttarus griseus
- Family
- Psychidae
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Record type
- species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Present
- Origin
- Introduced
- Conservation status
- Not assessed
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal description
- Brachycyttarus griseus is the grass bagworm.