Cocoon (silk)

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A cocoon is a casing spun of silk by moth caterpillars and certain other insect larvae. Butterfly larvae do not spin a cocoon; their pupal form is called a chrysalis. Some caterpillars attach small twigs, fecal pellets or maybe pieces of vegetation to the outside of their cocoon in an attempt to disguise it from predators. Others spin their cocoon in a concealed location - on the underside of a leaf, in a crevice, or down near the base of a treetrunk. Moth pupae spin cocoons.

Silkworm cocoons are processed and used to produce natural silk for clothing.

Image:Caterpillars cocoon.jpg|The tough brown cocoon of an Emperor Gum Moth Image:Caterpillar making cocoon2.jpg|An Emperor Gum Moth caterpillar spinning its cocoon. Image:Actias luna pupa 2 sjh.JPG|Luna moth cocoon and pupa. Image:Actias luna cocoons sjh.JPG|Assortment of Luna moth cocoons. Image:Actias luna emergence sjh.gif|Luna moth eclosing from silk cocoon.

 

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