Organic cases provide protection: bagworm moths
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Larvae of bagworm moths protect themselves by building spiral-patterned cases out of environmental materials such as twigs, leaves, and silk.
| Biomimicry Taxonomy | |
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| Biomimetic Application Ideas | |
| Mimicking the geometry of bagworm cases to produce stronger packages, incorporating principles of bagworm case geometry into roof panels for vehicles and highway guardrails. |
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"When the bagworm is full-grown, it uses silk to anchor the case to a branch or leaf. Sealing the opening with silk, it spins a silk inner case, or cocoon. There the caterpillar pupates. The adult male develops wings and leaves his cocoon to mate. The adult female never leaves her cocoon and lays her eggs in it. When the eggs hatch, the larvae crawl out of the case and move away, each to make its own tiny new case.
"The remarkable thing about the design of the bagworm twig casing is that it is designed to resist failure by crushing. The bagworm does this by placing the twigs in an ingenious pattern that, in section, forms a spiral configuration. Differing species apply this principle in various effective ways." (Tsui 1999:128)
Psychidae
Organism/taxonomy data provided by:
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist
Application Ideas: Mimicking the geometry of bagworm cases to produce stronger packages, incorporating principles of bagworm case geometry into roof panels for vehicles and highway guardrails.
Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Packaging, transportation safety
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