Heart and Home
Lorraine Shannon
It took a long afternoon and many scratches to weed and prune the raspberry canes but a Saunders case moth or bagworm (member of the Psychidae family) proved an unlikely companion. She (I imagine she is female) as until the male emerges from his twig-encrusted home is it impossible to ascertain gender. Despite much searching I have never seen a male who has emerged to display his striking black wings and furry orange head. Instead the home-body females trundle slowly over concrete, soil, leaves, even glass in their silken shelters to which they have painstakingly attached chewed off leaves and twigs. This particular case moth has thoughtfully perused the raspberry leaves, occasionally nibbling a new leaf, while snail-like towing her humble dwelling. Her shelter has a simple beauty; it is her material paradise where, wingless, I think of her as living her entire life bound within her enclosure of contented memories and dreams. In this time of Covid-19 when we, like the case moth, must also be home-bodies, home is where the heart has to be. An afternoon with the case moth has taught me that home is more than a mere shelter. It is an intimate space in which to dream in peace.
Author bio: Lorraine is a nature writer and academic editor living in the Blue Mountains. She is also a keen gardener.