Silk (?) Cocoon on Bracken?

BM · #1 (**permalink**) 30-08-2006, 10:09 AM

Was wondering if someone could help me with and ID. I'm just back from a long weekend spent on the Ardnamurchan peninsula (which was fantastic

). Whilst out an about exploring on some moorland I found a cocoon attached to a piece of dead bracken.

It was about 20cm off the ground, appeared to be made of silk, pale cream in colour, cylindrical shape and about 3cm long (possibly a bit longer) and perhaps about 1-1.5cm wide?

I originally thought that it could be an Emperor Moth (Pavonia pavonia) cocoon, however, having done a bit of research I'm having doubts

. Every picture and photo i've seen of an Emperor Moth Cocoon it appears to be a darker brown colour (the cocoon I saw was a very pale cream colour), pear shaped (the one I saw was completely cylindrical with rounded ends attached to the stalk on it's long side) and have a rough fibrous silk surface (the one I saw was quite smooth ..... I almost thought it was a hard foam if it wasn't for some strands of what appeared to be silk on the ends). Do the cocoons maybe darken in colour and obtain a rough surface over time?

Please note that all of the above was from a very hazy memory ...... the wind had dropped and so I was being eaten by midges having left the Avon Skin So Soft in the car

!

I have taken a few photos of it but the battery is dead and I'm recharging ...... I'll post one when it's back up and running.

Any ideas ......?

Lance Morgan · #2 (**permalink**) 30-08-2006, 10:21 AM

Could be Oak Eggar

BM · #3 (**permalink**) 31-08-2006, 02:59 PM

Ok my memory isn't quite as good as I thought it was ...it appears to be shorter and a bit fatter then I recall! ..... here are the photos ......

Anyone any ideas? Is it just a freshly spun Emperor Moth Cocoon?

henrya · #4 (**permalink**) 31-08-2006, 03:48 PM

You say you thought it was "hard foam". I wonder if it's a slime mould?

henrya

BM · #5 (**permalink**) 31-08-2006, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by henrya

You say you thought it was "hard foam". I wonder if it's a slime mould?

henrya

Yep I initially thought it was hard foam but on closer inspection it was definitely some sort of fiber (you can just make out the strands in the third photo), admittedly it is a very dense weave.