Video: It’s slightly uncomfortable to see a hornet climb out of its cocoon from this close of an angle, but there’s also something really captivating about seeing it stretch out and discover its own body and surroundings for the first time. I imagine it must be like waking up with a massive hangover with no memory of what happened the night before.
The video is shot so close that you can pretty much count the hairs on the jacket. Smithsonian writes:
After two weeks of encasement, it’s time for the larvae, now adult hornets, to leave their silk cocoons. Get an intimate look at the moment one hatches and begins to experience life in its shiny new form.