Plaster Bagworm (or Household Casebearer)

Natural Habitat

Typically found indoors in warm, humid climates; they often inhabit closets, bathrooms, and garages, sticking to walls (especially stucco or plaster) and floors.

Diet & Feeding

Larvae feed on detritus, including spider webs, old silk, woolen fibers, human hair, lint, and dead insects.

Behavior Patterns

The larva constructs a distinctive flattened, pumpkin-seed-shaped protective case out of silk and debris (like sand, soil, or lint). It drags this case around as it moves and can retreat inside when threatened.

Risks & Benefits

Risks: They are generally harmless to humans (they do not bite or sting) but can be distinct household pests if they infest fabrics or woolen goods. Benefits: They can act as minor cleaners by eating cobwebs and dead insect parts, though their presence is usually considered a nuisance.

Identified on: 2/14/2026