I noticed this cocoon on our address sign this morning. The numbers you can see are 3 inches tall so you have a pretty good idea if it's size. Wonder what's pupating in there.
Surprize Package
WOW, that thing is huge!!!
Sure is. I'm hoping to witness the "birth".
well fill us in if you finally find out what it is
Looks like it might be a sphinx moth cocoon. They are incredibly strong and waterproof. You ought to tink about bringing it in to hatch if you have a something big enough like a terrarium. That would be very cool!
WOW, that would be cool to put it in a terrarium and watch it
Of course it could be spiders too hehehe
can you imagine watching hundreds, maybe thousands of little spiders coming out of that thing if you have it in your house :(
eeeeeewwwwww..........creepy LOL
Too bad I can't bring the whole sign post inside. I'm afraid I might damage the cocoon if I try to detach it. What's so bad about spiders? They get in my house all the time and do no harm.
I'm pretty sure it's not a sphynx moth--all the ones I'm familiar with bury underground to pupate and they pupae are form-fitting (you can see the proboscis and the segments of the abdomen, and sort of the wings). This looks like a silk moth of some sort to me. Their cocoons are very large and sort of leathery. Usually the caterpillars will try to wrap a leaf around the cocoon to disguise it, but not always.
I ditto taking it in the house and letting it hatch. Then you can take a picture and we'll all find out for sure what it is :)
LOL BG You're the one that IDed my cocoon...I thought I remembered sphinx when it was actually silk. Good thing you came along!
100's of little spiders would even set ME back a bit and I love spiders!
I think you should take it in though, they are really very sturdy and it would be hard to damage if you were careful
OK, BG. I'm willin'. I'll carefully cut the silk strands attaching it to the signpost. I don't have a terrarium and my house is air conditioned so inside might not be good. How about this - I'll build a box of screening and line it with something through which air can circulate upon which I'll put the cocoon. I'll keep the box outside in protected shade and keep watch. Any other Ideas? I've raised all kinds of baby animals; but I've never hatched a cocoon!!
raisedbedbob, What a great picture of the cocoon, sure hope you can save it and find out what it is. Love your name. Donna
RBB,Keep the camera charged!Great pic!
Well, I'm building a "cocoonubator". The top and back have ventillation holes as well as the sides. I'm working on the front which will be clear plexiglass with 3 rows of ventillating holes. It will slide down slots I've cut in the sides. I thought I'd put the cocoon upright on the cotton batting in a bottom corner. Sound like a plan? Tomorrow is C-day.
P.S. I got the idea for this from real expensive butterfly houses I see in catalogues and fancy nurseries
that just too cool. you're so crafty :)
Okay all, here's the final product with the cocoon in place. I took the pic on the left because the light was good. The one on the right shows it's final location where its shaded by a potted purple petunia (groan if you must). You're right, Floridian, that thing is HARD. I had to cut it away with a scalpel - took a while as I didn't want to damage it. Whatever is inside was NOT HAPPY; it buzzed and shook. Kinda spooky
Wow,great job!looking forward to seeing the prize!
This is so exciting - That cocoonubator's great! If that thing had buzzed and shook in my hand, I'd probably have flipped it into the next county! Nerves of steel, I swear!
Rbbob, if I come to live there will you make me a neat house like that to live in? I wish I could get DH to be creative like that. If I asked him to make me a house for a cocoon he's probably pee his pants laughing at me!
Hmmm, if it's making noises and moving around in there I would think it might not take too long for something to emerge. By the way, when it does, since you incubated it would that make you a mother? Just something to think about, teehee.
rbbob, what a neat cocoonubator you built. Shouldn't be too long until something happens. Donna
Very clever of you! Now we get to see what's in there.
I found a bug case one day...it rattled when I shook it so I figured nothing would ever come out but I dropped it in a jar anyway. Here's a link to the thread http://davesgarden.com/t/395404/
I can't wait to see what emerges from yours!
RBB, I just love the cocoonubator. How clever! You might want to put a stick or something in there for it to climb up on so it can hang and dry it's wings properly. It would be a shame to go to all this trouble and have it not be able to get it's wings dried properly. Looking forward to pix of it once it hatches!
Thanks for the suggestion, BG. Consider it done.
Spotted this critter this morning lurking in the potted petunia sheltering the cocoonubator. Do you reckon she's anticpating a really big meal soon?
Probably hears the rustling!She sure looks healthy!
That's gonna be one frustrated praying mantis if it's waiting for the critter in the cocoonubator! Looks like a veritable Fort Knox to me.
I'm afraid she and we may have a long wait. I suspect this here cocoon houses the pupa of a polyphemus moth. If this is the case, it won't emerge until spring; and it will be her descendants who'll be hungry then.
well we'll be patiently waiting :)
RBBob,Keep her fed,I find they like humans,handling helps,just give her good conditions,she just may give you lots of babies.
Root.......hopefully, you're not describing "the Little Shop of Horrors" are you? You know...keep it well fed; they like humans !!! ROTFL Just Kidd'n :-)
SLily,One of my Fav. movies,think about it with my A.Macs!
Great picture of the Mantis. I've only seen one small brown one this summer. I wonder if the buzzing and shaking came from the creature right after it formed the cocoon?? I always assumed they slept, sort of hibernated their time away inside a cocoon...anyone know?
What's up with the cocoon, Bob? - Julie
Ya know, I was just thinkin' about this the other day myself...wonderin' if anything ever came out of that cocoon.
My curiosity is way up too. Any news?
No action yet. If it's what I suspect it is, and it's still healthy we can expect action in April.
We'll stay tuned.
Cool - And I remembered to watch this thread, finally!