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Cocoon Silk

June 28th, 2010 admin No comments

Cocoon Silk

Strange caterpillar activities?

So, I found a caterpillar floating on the wind. He was attached to what looked like a piece of spider silk. I decided to take him and watch him turn into a butterfly. So I put him in a jar with leaves and grass and a stick from which to hang his cocoon. This was yesterday.

Today, I found him at the bottom of the jar and he has built what looks like a cocoon around him and the jar floor but it's made out of what looks like spider silk. I didn't think cocoons looked like that.

Does anyone know 1) why the caterpillar was floating or 2) what he's doing now?

Thanks!

Some caterpillars produce silk to help them build shelters and for defense.

There are many kinds of defenses of caterpillars, and one of them is to drop off the the leaf or branch that they are on. When a bird or other predator tries to grab them, they thrash around and fall off the edge, and then dangle by their thread until it is safe to climb back up.

The thing on the bottom of the jar is his new shelter. It is another way of staying protected. Leave him alone in there, and he should be fine. His cocoon will look totally different, not silky at all. If you are going to keep him until he changes, keep in mind that it might be a long time. They go through five stages before they start to change, so don't worry if it takes forever. And make sure you put plenty of fresh food in there all the time - the plant he was hanging from is probably the best bet. Most caterpillars can only eat one kind of plant, so the one he was on is probably his!

Good luck!