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Photo#109268
Unknown Cocoon - Hyalophora cecropia

Unknown Cocoon - Hyalophora cecropia
Thomasburg, Hastings, Ontario, Canada
April 28, 2007
Size: almost 10 cm (4")
I think this is probably a silk moth cocoon (or chrysalis?) of some kind--first noticed in the winter, it is well-secured in a spirea. I've been watching it every day for a couple of weeks now. We've had a week of very warm weather, but no sign of life yet. I don't know if it can be identified from the cocoon, but thought I'd give it a try. We've had cecropia and hornworm caterpillars in the yard.

Moved
Moved from Cecropia Moth. We moved it to Cecropia, but then realized it didn't look like the two that were already there, so we have moved it back to get more info. See and

 
Big , big mistake
to move it from cecropia. I should have been more forceful in my earlier comment. It IS a cocoon of H. cecropia, but go ahead and get other opinions (how many do you require?). These cocoons come in 2 forms, the slim tight ones you show and the loose baggy ones. Not sure if it's a sexual dimorphism with the female having the baggy cocoon.

 
Actually, we don't need any other opinions!
Yours is more than sufficient. We just thought we had gotten confused when we saw the other cocoons there. Thanks for the extra info. We'll move some of it to the guide page!

 
Moved
Yes I see what you mean, it's squarer, or wider, than those. Interesting. I look forward to developments--and of course if a critter emerges and I get to see it (and, even better, photograph it), I'll post right away.

The relatively open
weave is more characteristic of Hyalophora cecropia

What do you think of
?

 
Polyphemus?
That's a fantastic series of photos! How big was the cocoon? And might there be identifying significance to the fact that yours was found in leaf litter, and mine is firmly attached to a shrub?

 
Ours was probably in the leaf litter
from the plant it was attached to being broken, but Tony actually has the correct answer for you above! Great addition to the guide. Hope you are successful at watching it emerge.

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