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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hcarlton" data-source="post: 330886" data-attributes="member: 10329">As quoted from the very first and one of the most reliable sources to pop up with a search on North American butterflies and moths: "Leaves and silk are used to spin papery brown cocoons in litter under the host plant." <a href="https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Actias-luna" target="_blank">https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Actias-luna</a>This fits with the cocoons that I have that show no signs of having hung from anything at any point, and instead are quite littered with humus and dirt material. And preference other species may have to hang from the start, but if that's not an option they will climb up to a hanging position first. My Cecropia climbed quite a bit higher than the cocoon was situated to dry, same with both of the Polyphemus that hatched out. The only one that actually just hung on the cocoon was the male Promethea, and undoubtedly he would have moved as well had the cocoon fallen beforehand.</blockquote>