Mother nature and her bags of tricks has rustled up a delicious little surprise for this macro shot. A blob of moving twigs turns out to be a Bagworm (Psychidae). Neat! The larvae of this species constructs a spindle-shaped silk bag and then attaches pieces of twigs and leaves as a protective covering. This one is hungry extending it’s head through it’s covering and making good headway along the petals of this Moraea ochroleuca (aas-uintjie).
It senses my intrusion and withdraws behind it’s defensive bulwark, though you can still see it’s whiskery antennae.
Nature on the Edge 
Amazing camouflage.
How extraordinary! And lovely photos…
Thanks Jude. An intriguing little critter – with a huge appetite!
Always a fascinating find, and your macro photography is marvelous, Liz! !
We often find them with “cocoons” built from acacia thorns, which seems an extra efficient deterrent to would-be predators.
Nature is a marvel, how innovative is that, a defensive cocoon!
Amazing Liz, what a clever little creature!
Quite surprising too finding out how it manouevres, hooking legs to pull the cocoon along…. neat!
Fascinating!
What a funny, interesting little gogga! 🙂
Brilliant insect and great images of it on those contrasting golden petals.
Isn’t that excellent mimicry – a neat solution to avoid detection 🙂