Tower Case Moth - Lepidoscia arctiella
These Caterpillars construct a case around themselves using silk. Most camouflage it with pieces of material from their environment, often characteristically chosen and arranged by that species. They have an anterior hole in the case through which the head and thorax protrude while feeding. They have a posterior hole for excretion. They pupate within their case, generally after securing the front to a twig securely with silk, so that it swings freely. In some species the adult female is wingless, and remains in her case for the male to visit her. She actually lays her eggs in the case. (http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/psyc/psychidae.html)
This Caterpillar attaches sticks all around its case, all of the same length, and attaches them parallel to the axis of the case. When the Caterpillar grows sufficiently long, it attaches a new set similarly arranged to the old set, except that more are attached so that the radius of the new part of the case is bigger. The Caterpillar does this several times as it grows, giving a tiered appearance to the case. The case can grow to a length of up to 3 cms.
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