Natural Control of the Bagworm and Notes on Its Status as a Forest Pest

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Abstract
Natural control factors affecting the bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Haworth), were studied at Natrium, West Virginia, in October, 1960. Seventeen species of insect parasites, predators, and scavengers, including 8 new records, were collected from 2128 cocoons taken from black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia L. Forty percent of the cocoons were normal, 25% were parasitized, and 35% died from other causes. Itoplectis conquisitor (Say) parasitized 18.5% of the bagworms. About 25% of the I.conquisitor were parasitized by Mondontomerus minor (Ratzeburg). Two-thirds of M. minor were hyperparasites and i/3 appeared to be primary parasites. A chloropid fly, Pseudogaurax anchora (Loew), a scavenger, was occasionally predatory on eggs. It was estimated that 99.9% of the new generation was lost before the overwintering stage. Notes are given on the status of the bagworm as an occasional defoliator of forest trees, with special reference to white pine, Pinus strobus L.

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