Identification of metallic cocoon - Ask Extension
Hi, I wonder if you might know what type of bug this might be? I've never seen a cocoon like it. It's a couple inches long, attached to the outside of...
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Identification of metallic cocoon #735239
Asked December 12, 2020, 1:27 PM EST
Hi, I wonder if you might know what type of bug this might be? I've never seen a cocoon like it. It's a couple inches long, attached to the outside of my house. I'm not worried about it. Just curious. So if you don't have time, no worries, or maybe you can refer me to someone else.
Thanks very much,
Sue Ballenski
Thanks very much,
Sue Ballenski
Larimer County Colorado
Expert Response
That is a chrysalid of a butterfly, the pupal stage. (Butterfly pupae do not have a cocoon of silk around them, as do some moths.) More specifically it is a chrysalid/pupa of the twotailed swallowtail. https://webdoc.agsci.colostate.edu/bspm/arthropodsofcolorado/Two-tailed-swallowtail.pdf
The one in your photo is grayish and somewhat metallic looking, but the color can vary, depending on where the insect choses to pupate. In the sheet linked above you can see one that has some greenish tones.
The one in your photo is grayish and somewhat metallic looking, but the color can vary, depending on where the insect choses to pupate. In the sheet linked above you can see one that has some greenish tones.
