I was in my garden earlier today, and this wasn't on the tree [I know for sure because I was actually giving my tree a little haircut] and an hour later it was there! I can't really tell what is in side of it. Any ideas?! I've included my thumb in it so you can see the size of it.
Looks like a caterpillar cocoon.
It's very likely a spider cocoon that holds eggs. Caterpillar cocoons are a solid hard shell and usually hang lengthwise from the branch. I cannot tell if it is a poisonous spider or not, but it is definitely not from a Black Widow as their egg sacs are almost perfectly round and more creme colored.
