Are butterfly cacoons usually big and black in color?

Question

Some of my students found what looks like a butterfly cacoon hanging outside. They knocked it down while looking at it and brought it to me to put inside our butterfly house. I have never seen a cacoon this big and black. I've searched for different types but can't seem to find a picture of many cacoons. It looks like a butterlfy cacoon but i was not sure if they were usually black in color. We just had some caterpillars that emerged to butterflies but they were not as big or black.

Answer 1

no, they are green or yellow. maybe you found a rotten cocoon where the butterfly died inside it, and the cocoon just rotted.