Put it in a place where your beautiful luna moth, or possibly your polyphemus moth, will have plenty of space to emerge. After lunas first make their cocoon, they rattle around a lot, so that's normal.
Congratulations!

Sherry

Gracious, Sherry, this is a first for our neighborhood! Can you elaborate on what we can expect--and when? The vibrating has ceased; I wasn't sure if I felt relief or sorrow ;- ) I've never seen such an impressive cocoon before--I left it on my dining room table last night and I was a little apprehensive as to what I might be sharing my breakfast with today...
Can you give me a time-frame for incubation and explain how it will emerge from its cocoon? I'm giddy with excitement.

It's been several years since I've raised any lunas, so I can't remember too many particulars. Yours will undoubteely emerge this year, not overwinter, but I can't tell you exactly when. For starters, you don't know when it actually made the cocoon, just when you found it, right? I'd guess it hasn't been long, since rattling usually happens shortly after they make the cocoon. As I recall, the ones that didn't overwinter emerged within ?3 or 4 weeks. The rattling pretty much ceased, and I don't remember hearing anything else out of it until the day it emerged, when I'd hear a scratching sound, like it was breaking down the cocoon, not an easy thing to do! When it emerges, it's all body, the wings are nubs, and it crawls pitifully up the side of the cage and hangs out. In a very short time, the wings start emerging, the body shrinks, and you have a gorgeous luna moth! You leave the cage open when you go to bed so it can fly out - this won't happen until after about ?10:00 p.m., as I recall.
If it's a female, and you want some of her eggs to raise, we'll discuss that.
In the meantime, when you have plenty of time, you could read this LONG thread from the past.

Sherry

P.S. I keep calling it a luna, but polyphemus moths look almost identical to lunas when they're caterpillars, and the cocoons look nearly the same, also.

Here is a link that might be useful: Luna Moth Thread

Thanks for the fascinating link, Sherry. I'm thrilled to host either of these moths. I moved the cocoon to an empty fish tank that I filled with sticks and moss. It's roomy so my guest will have plenty of space to dry its wings.
Sherry, you are such a font of knowledge--we are so fortunate to have you on this forum.

Thanks for the kind words!

As long as your moth has a surface it can grip to climb up on, it'll be fine. I say that, because a lot of people use aquariums, and those glass sides are too slippery, in my opinion. Newly emerged lunas have trouble moving those huge bodies, and there's no way they can cling to a slick surface, much less climb it.

I know you can't wait to see your gorgeous moth - post pictures, if you can.

Sherry

It's a boy!!!
A male Polyphemus moth eclosed early this morning --12:23 to be exact--dried his wings, and flew off in search of a mate--all before my head hit the pillow at 2am!
Thanks for all your help with the identification, Miss Sherry.
regards,
seedmoney

Here is a link that might be useful: It's a Boy!

Beautiful! Congrats on a successful eclose.

Congrats, congrats!

Sherry

How exciting! Beautiful moth!

How pretty! Congrats!