These silk cocoons vary enough in shape and color to be used as a tool to identify the species that made them. In the spring, when warm temperatures return, adults emerge from the cocoon and the cycle continues. A cecropia cocoon attached to twigs will stay in place until spring. Warm weather triggers the evolution of a new moth. Cocoons can also be used to identify each species since they differ in shape and color.
Moths have a special place in the web of life.
These insects are important pollinators of plants and their caterpillars are a primary food source for songbirds. As a general rule, moths fly by night and butterflies fly by day. Butterflies depend on their bright colors to tell birds they have eaten plant toxins and therefore taste bad. Night-flying moths don't have this worry except for an occasional bat looking for a meal. Moths disguise themselves as dead leaves, lichen and bark during the day.