Bagworm maybe? You have to wonder how they actually manage to do that.

I know, right? It just withstood a hurricane for God's sake!

Wonderful image! We usually think of bagworms infesting conifers only but they will feed on many kinds of plant, snipping bits and pieces of whatever they are on in order to make their home.

The silk strands that the caterpillars use to build their structures and to attach to the plant when they are ready to pupate and mate are incredibly strong! I use scissors or snips to remove them when I find them.

The fall is THE time to remove and dispose of those bags. The gravid females are in there! Get rid of the bags in the fall and you will prevent the next generation. The eggs hatch inside the bags in the spring, and tiny larvae are starving for plant material.

In the meantime, I am in total agreement that these little pieces of insect architecture are really works of art.

rhizo_1,

Thanks for the reply. You're right, it did have quite a strong connection to the leaf. I had to really tug on it with a fork. I put it in a small, heavy duty storage bag so I can show my granddaughter when she visits this weekend. I'm sure she'll want to take it to school for show and tell! I'll give her your reply to study :-)

Thanks again