bagworm

8.6

A caterpillar that lives in a small bag of twigs and leaves and eats leaves from trees

noun
/ˈbæɡˌwɜrm/

Specialized

: oruga de bolsa

As the bagworm develops, it feeds on the leaves of trees while remaining hidden in its protective casing.

Examples

Each bagworm can be seen hanging from branches, carefully crafting its home to shield itself from predators.
bagworm uses silk and plant material to construct a protective case for its life.
Bagworms.

Badlands (1974)
The bear thrashed and howled, flinging the dogs, which had attached themselves like bagworms to a cedar bush.

Fiction book (1997)

Synonyms

casebearer

vsbagworm

9.9

A small moth or caterpillar that lives inside a tiny case made of silk and plant pieces

is a moth or larva that makes silk and plant cases and eats shrubs

casemaker

vsbagworm

Specialized

9.9

A young insect that builds and lives in a small case made from silk and bits of leaves or sand

is a moth or larva that makes cases from silk and plant material

caseworm

vsbagworm

Specialized

9.9

A young insect that builds a protective case around its body

is a moth or larva that makes cases from silk and plant material

Surface Forms

bagworm singular

bagworms plural

Morphology

bagworm = bag + worm (transparent) = bag + worm

The compound 'bagworm' straightforwardly denotes a worm-like insect associated with a bag-like case, so the meaning is directly derived from 'bag' + 'worm'.

Etymology

Bagworm comes from the words bag ('a small pouch') and worm ('a small creature like a worm'), because the insect makes a tiny bag of twigs and lives inside like a worm, so the name tells you exactly what it does.