What is a cocoon?

Browse → Animals → Bugs, Snails, Worms

Did you know that when butterflies are born, they don’t look anything like adult butterflies at all? They don’t even have wings! The baby butterflies that hatch from eggs are actually caterpillars! They may crawl up trees to eat leaves, but they don’t fly at all.

Many insects, like butterflies, go through big changes while growing into adults. Their bodies take on new shapes and wings may even grow from their backs! During these changes, the insects often lose the ability to move around because their legs are changing and they need all their energy to help them grow. It is pretty dangerous to be an insect just sitting on a tree branch, waiting to grow into an adult. Birds and other insects may come along and try to eat it.

The solution is pretty impressive! A caterpillar will wrap itself in a cocoon, which is a protective casing made from sticky threads of silk that come from the caterpillars own body. The caterpillar will twist and turn until it is completely wrapped in its cocoon, and then it is much safer from animals that might want to eat it. Cocoons can be found on branches, bushes, or hidden in leaves or holes in the ground. Some insects may even spend an entire winter in their cocoon. When they break free of the cocoon, an entirely new animal crawls out. Caterpillars become beautiful butterflies!

Cocoons aren’t just for butterflies though. Moths, leeches, and even earthworms also have cocoons!

by   (whyzz writer)
  • Exploration

    Flutter by, Butterfly!

    There are about 14,000 different types of butterflies, and they all have pretty unique patterns on their wings. Did you know that some butterflies have wings that look like they eyes of bigger, scarier animals? One example is the giant owl butterfly that can be found in Costa Rica. Its wings look like they have – guess what – owls’ eyes on them.

    These markings on their wings trick other animals into thinking butterflies are bigger and scarier than they actually are! Why do you think that would help them?

    Draw some butterflies, and try drawing patterns on their wings that you think would help them stay safe? What wing patterns do you think would help a butterfly that lived in trees? What patterns would help a butterfly that lived in the desert?

