Dr. Art Evens on Cocoons

Egg Case in Winter

He talks about Polyphemus Moth cocoons and Praying Mantis Eggs. He's also on Facebook.

Without doing to much exploring of the yard this year I've already managed to find two egg cases of Praying Mantises. One year I found a hatched Polypheumus Cocoon on the ground, so I know they're out there. I know other giant silk moths certainly make cocoons such as the Cecropia silkmoth, Hyalophora cecropia.

Other species such as the Imperial Moth, Eacles imperialis, burrow in the ground before forming a chrysalis. I had a friend call me over the summer because she kept finding these "things" emerging from the ground. When they first emerge their wings are as limp as a silk swatch used to clean eye glasses, so they don't look much like a moth at all. Thankfully she sent me some pictures and I told her not to kill them. They turn into something quite pretty.

So the cocoons and eggs are out there. Time to start looking. Should you find a giant silk moth cocoon, perhaps a sheltered cage placed just outside the window or inside a shed, or unheated garage would work best. Praying mantis eggs are fairly common along forest edges and among tall grasses in sunny locations. 

Polyphemus Moth Cocoon

Earlier this summer I stumbled upon a mating pair of Polyphemus moths. I took the female home, she laid some eggs and I let her go. I then attempted rearing the caterpillars in captivity but this was my first time doing this. Sadly I failed, they all died shortly after. Normally this would be the end of the story but it's not. You see, I was feeding the caterpillars leaves to the oak and maple trees we have in our yard... what I didn't expect was the Polyphemus moth laying eggs on them before departing.

Hidden in the fallen leaves at the base of our willow oak is the cocoon to a Polyphemus moth.

It's empty of course. It's far to late in the year to find adults.

I showed this picture to someone who's opinion I trust is correct. She raises several species of giant silk moth in captivity. She said the texture, shape, size, and even it's location (the leaf litter around oak and maple trees) are exactly what she'd expect a Polyphemus moth to produce. It's also rock solid. I can't believe how hard this thing is.

So while I may have missed this one emerging, hopefully next year's generations will find my trees to be appetizing and I'll get another chance in the spring.

Mason Bee Cocoons

I could have cleaned these off a little better. These are Mason Bee Cocoons. Last year I had all the mason bee nesting blocks and these are all the cocoons I got from them. As well as some type of moth in the upper right. Anyhow lots of wildflowers started blooming here and that means it's about time to pull these out of the fridge. Yes they were in my fridge, don't worry though they were well sealed and insulated with paper towel in a coffee can. (Nothing like accidentally drinking a cup of hot bug juice in the morning to wake you up.)

I wasn't sure if they survived though so I attempted to remove one from it's cocoon. While holding it between my fingers I scratched at it with a needle. Scared the hell out of me when it started buzzing, vibrating, and then after I'd dropped it, rolled around on the table some. Yep they're alive.

So I'll keep them in this plastic container until I see some fruit trees blooming. Then it's out they go. They're active for about the time when blueberries start blooming.

Overwintering Caterpillars

Seeds are one thing to find in winter but caterpillars are quite another. Even though they're still developing it's still possible to find them. I doubt they're worth eating at this time though. On our blueberry bushes all of the leaves have fallen off ... with the exception of these two or three.


From another angle the silk is more easily seen. Within this cluster of leaves is a caterpillar of some overwintering species. Mostly likely a moth of some kind. They'll remain attached to the plant until the spring time when it will hatch and start the cycle all over again.


Our Passion Fruit Vine also houses a caterpillar. Passiflora incarnata is surprisingly native considering how exotic looking it's flower is. This is the first year I've had this plant and it hasn't flowered yet. So for flower pictures I turn to Google Search. The fruit is supposidly edible too. However I'm told this is considered a noxious weed. Not only does it spread by seed but it sends up suckers up to 15 feet from the parent plant. Thankfully I'm at the norther most part of this plant's range so hopefully it will play nice.


Considering how pretty the butterflies are it might be worth having such a plant around. Agraulis species are among the prettiest North America has to offer. The only other butterflys that have the intense orange colors I can really think of are all Milkweed Butterflies like the Monarch. Here's hoping for some bright colors next spring.