This Tiny White Ball on a Thread is a Carnivore

Tiny white ball floating over the trail at Frick Park, 9 August 2026 (photo by Kate St. John) 10 August 2026 In August in southwestern PA you may notice a tiny white ball floating above the trail, maybe at eye level. If you walk into it you discover the ball is on a thread. It moves horizontally in a light breeze and can raise and lower itself. On closer inspection you can see it’s a white insect. Planthopper parasite moth (Fulgoraecia exigua) caterpillar dangling on a silk thread (photo by i_will_eat_your_trees on iNaturalist) The white balls are the caterpillars of the planthopper parasite moth (Fulgoraecia exigua), one the extremely few carnivorous moths in North America. The species is not rare but its dietary habits are. In a super-closeup the tiny caterpillar looks like this. Closeup of Fulgoraecia exigua caterpillar (photo from Wikimedia Commons) The adult moth is also tiny with a wingspan from 8-13 mm (0.3 – 0.5 inches). Female Planthopper parasite moth (photo from Wikimedia)…