We survived the night with our strange insect and woke up to discover we have some very smart friends! Ronald, Jeff and Janet all told us the mystery furry cocoon with the alien guest is a BAGWORM, a caterpillar that will grow into a type of MOTH, known as Metura elongatus (see photo above and video below). Elongatus is right! Our caterpillar seems to be about twice the average size -- the moth is gonna be HUGE!
Janet has memories of seeing this moth in childhood schools in tropical Australia. So those of you who thought it was an alien, was too gross to look at, wondered if it came with batteries, and threatened to remove us as Facebook friends and not come for a visit, can now rest assured it will at least morph into something less ugly than it is now. Sort of like Ugly Betty. Maybe that's what we will name it.
Ronald sent a link that gives more details from someone else who is waiting for their moth to emerge: http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_moths/LargeBagworm.htm
We have decided we're going to "cage" our critter and watch it morph into the moth stage. Sorry, there will be more details forthcoming (unless for some reason it doesn't survive its captivity).
INTERNET FACTS
Large Bagworms actually are case moth caterpillars. The caterpillar lives in a case made of silk and plants materials. The adults are known as Saunders' Case Moths. A Large Bagworm is a large caterpillar, 10mm in cross diameter (NOTE: ours is more richly endowed, 2-3 mm!) It's body is orange-brown in colour with a black-eyes pattern on its thorax. The case moths pupate within their case. They hang their bag by the front to a twig and secure with silk.
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