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I found several of these tiny brittle silk nests in the plants around our ponds.
Semi rural wildlife habitat.
Spotted on Aug 27, 2012
Submitted on Aug 28, 2012
5 Comments
I have had lots of yellow bears too; but this seems way too small for them. I will keep looking to see if I can find something that fits. I waited for on one year and got a fly that had parasitised the larvae. No moth to id; just the fly.
No, just lots of yellow bears! I might bring one of the cocoons indoors though to see what emerges!
Do not believe it is a wooly bear; but cocoons like one. Did you see caterpillars on these plants earlier? That might give you a clue to who is inside. In the past I have put one in a jar to see who came out, fun and interesting :)
Thanks gatorfellows! We do have many wooly bears but they are all huge. These were very tiny - probably no more than 6 or 7 mm long.
Hairy/wooly caterpillars make this type of cocoon. Their hairs are used in the outer case. Caution in touching the case. If it is a irritating caterpillar the hairs used in the cocoon can irritate.