Extreme-aridity-tolerance

Guides

• Thyridopteryx meadii

  Creosote Bush Bagworm, Creosote Bagworm

  Thyridopteryx meadii is a North American bagworm moth endemic to the Mojave Desert and adjacent arid regions. Unlike its widespread congener T. ephemeraeformis, this species exhibits extreme host specialization, feeding exclusively on creosote bush (Larrea tridentata). The species was named in honor of entomologist T. L. Mead, who collected the type specimen in California. Its life history is tightly coupled to the phenology of its host plant and regional rainfall patterns rather than following a fixed annual cycle.

  bagwormPsychidaecreosote-bushMojave-Deserthost-specialistrainfall-dependent-phenologyextreme-aridity-toleranceThyridopteryx