• What does it look like before it has all that debris on top of it?

  The “real bug” is almost completely hidden by that case.

  

  What it looks like without the debris

  Before it builds that little case, it’s just a tiny caterpillar-like larva:

  

  

  

  5

  Key features

  • Creamy white to light tan body

  • Small brown head

  • Soft, worm-like (like a tiny caterpillar)

  • Only a few millimeters long (very small)

  Important detail most people miss

  It almost immediately starts building that case after hatching, so:

  • You rarely see it “naked”

  • It sticks its head and front legs out of the case to move and feed

  • The case grows as it adds more dust and fibers over time

  🐛 Bagworm (what you likely saw)

  • Has small, visible legs at the front

  • The body stays inside the little “dust case”

  • It sticks its head and legs out to crawl and pull the case along

  • So you’ll see:

  tiny legs moving… attached to a little clump

  What it turns into

  Eventually:

  • It pupates inside that case

  • Then becomes a tiny moth (nothing dramatic—just a small, dull-colored household moth)

  ---

  So the “bug” you’re seeing is basically wearing its house like armor from almost day one. Without it, it would look like a very small, plain caterpillar—and pretty vulnerable

  

  Fascinating :)

  __Mammaw

• This is one of those situations where a little caution matters a lot.

  From the photo, an observations, but not a safe, definitive ID:

  • They’re white, smooth-capped mushrooms with a rounded “button” shape (one more mature, one younger).

  • The larger one shows free gills (not attached to the stem) and a veil remnant (that torn edge under the cap).

  • The stem looks fairly plain—no obvious ring in the photo, but that might just be angle or maturity.

  • The smaller one has darker gills, which suggests they darken with age.

  That combination could point toward something in the Agaricus family (like store mushrooms)…
  BUT—and this is the important part—it can also overlap with dangerous lookalikes, especially:

  • Amanita species (some are deadly poisonous, like destroying angels)

  • Certain white lawn mushrooms that cause stomach upset or worse

Here’s the hard truth:

• White mushrooms are one of the most risky groups to guess on. Even experienced foragers treat them carefully because harmless and deadly ones can look nearly identical.

What you should do right now

• • Do NOT eat them

  • Wash hands after handling

  • Keep them away from pets/kids’ mouths

If you’re curious (safe way to learn)

• If you want to narrow it down safely, these details help a lot:

  • Was there a bulb or sac (volva) at the base underground?

  • Do the gills turn pink → brown (Agaricus trait)?

  • Any strong smell (chemical, almond, foul)?

  • Where were they growing? (lawn, wood chips, near trees?)

  If you can, snap:

  • The base of the stem (dug up)

  • A side view of the gills

  • The underside clearly

Straight talk

• Don’t try to “figure it out enough” to eat. With mushrooms, it’s not like plants where you can take a chance—some mistakes are permanent.

  But as a learning moment with the grandkids? This is actually great. You can show them:

“Some things in nature look simple and safe, but you have to slow down and really understand them before you interact.”

• __Mammaw