Caterpillars make a cocoon when they are ready to turn into a pupa after they have put on enough weight. ... The time of year a caterpillar makes its cocoon depends on its lifecycle. Some species move from caterpillar to pupa very quickly and will need to weave their cocoon in the summer.

What comes first cocoon or caterpillar?

Butterflies and moths go through the same stages in their metamorphosis with one difference. Many moths form a cocoon instead of a chrysalis. Moths form cocoons by first spinning a silken "house" around them. Once the cocoon is finished, the moth caterpillar molts for the last time, and forms a pupa inside the cocoon.

What is the difference between cocoon and caterpillar?

Another common misconception about these terms is that the cocoon is the silk casing a caterpillar spins around itself to pupate into a moth or butterfly. In reality, a cocoon is only used by moth caterpillars. Butterfly larvae spin just a small button of silk and hang from it during the chrysalis stage.