Moth cocoon...

I'd forgotten about this gift from my good neighbor. I set it aside - planning to shoot it later and now it's much later. I think he gave it to me back in January. From what I could find out with a little research, this is a type of moth cocoon. As to a specific moth - maybe someone here will know. It almost feels a little spongey like latex and it seems to be woven in places with silky threads.

[Jeremy Cross]

Interesting photo

[Mags]

@jeremyccc Thanks, Jeremy.

[Bucktree]

Fabulous capture. Amazing textures and intricate fibers. Would have loved to see what climbed out of there.

[Mags]

@dkellogg Thank you very much, David. Me, too! It could be one of several large moths, but I can't pin it down to one.

[Danette Thompson]

Very cool

[Mags]

@danette Thanks, Danette.

[Cathy Donohoue]

That is so interesting looking. You often teach me things.

[Mags]

@cdonohoue Thank you, Cathy.

[Larry Steager]

Great shot.

[Mags]

@larrysphotos Thank you, Larry.

[Jane Pittenger]

How interesting

[Mags]

@jgpittenger Thanks, Jane.

[Shutterbug]

Fascinating. Very interesting find. How big is it?

[Diana]

amazing find and shot.

[moni kozi]

whoa! Superb macro! All those fibers!

[Brian]

Awesome shot of an unusual object (to me)

[Kathy A]

Wow, lookout all those threads

[Susan Wakely]

How lovely to see.

[Dione Giorgio]

Superb macro capture and details.

[winghong_ho]

It is a magic work to make it. Beautiful capture of it with strong texture.

[Mags]

@shutterbug49 Thank you. It's about two inches long and three inches in diameter at the widest section.

@ludwigsdiana Thanks, Diana.

@monikozi Thank you, Monica.

@briaan Thank you very much, Brian.

@kjarn Thank you, Kathy.

@wakelys Thank you so much, Susan.

@sangwann Thank you, Dione.

@wh2021 Thank you.

[mittens (Marilyn)]

Wow, very cool.

[Mags]

@mittens Thanks, Marilyn.

[Renee Salamon]

What an amazing object

[Mags]

@rensala Thank you very much, Renee.

[John Falconer]

Great capture.

[Thom Mitchell]

Great close-up! (FWIW, my guess is that cocoons [generally] aren't distinctive enough to ID the critter from the cocoon alone.)

[Mags]

@johnfalconer Thanks, John.

@rhoing Thanks, Thom.

[Thom Mitchell]

@marlboromaam Size: that seems huge! Size might help narrow an ID!

[Mags]

@rhoing I've narrowed it down to about three moths, but can't get it down any further than that. One was the Polyphemus Moth. Can't remember what the others were.

[Peter Dulis]

great detail

[Mags]

@rhoing https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/polyphemus-moth Tell me what you think!

[Mags]

@pdulis Thanks, Peter.

[Margaret Brown]

An amazing capture whatever it happens to be.

[Mags]

@craftymeg Thank you, Margaret.

[Kate]

I’m glad you remembered it. Nicely presented

[Mags]

@k9photo Thank you very much, Kate.

[Lin]

Interesting - I've haven't seen one before

[Mags]

@linnypinny Thank you, Lin.

[Thom Mitchell]

@marlboromaam I wondered about that one, since it's so large. See this cocoon image:
https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/Antheraea-polyphemus-Bob-Moul-243_0.jpg?itok=r5l0D0pA

You're definitely in the range of that moth; see the map:
https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Antheraea-polyphemus

For yet more, https://bugguide.net/node/view/62388

[Mags]

@rhoing The cocoon in the first link looks rougher compared to the one I shot which is smoother. I thought it might be the giant silk moth too, but I'm inclined to think it's this one.

[Bill Ososki]

Amazing creation

[haskar]

A very interesting find. It kind of reminds me of a wasp spider cocoon. The female creates it in the autumn and then this cocoon is soft. Over time it dries, shrinks and becomes very hard.

[Mags]

@ososki Thank you, Bill.

@haskar Thank you very much, Haskar. This one is still pretty spongey feeling like a rubber glove.

[Corinne C]

Great close up and amazing find!

[Mags]

@corinnec Thank you so much, Corinne.