Thank you for your interesting question.

Trying to associate an insect with a specific cocoon is a challenging task as many different insect species will construct similar cocoons. Moreover, once an adult has emerged from its cocoon, that cocoon can undergo structural changes due to weather and other environmental impacts. With these constraints, I will give you my best guess as to the origin of the cocoon you found. I believe this is a moth cocoon, most likely from a forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) or a closely related tent caterpillar. Such cocoons are approximately 2 inches long; they possess an inner layer of dense, whitish silk surrounded by a looser outer web; they are often found in grassy areas; and as they age their appearance becomes slightly granular in nature. In the following image of a forest tent cocoon, you can see these two layers. The cocoon you found has lost its outer layer.

https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/394531/bgimage

Forest tent caterpillars typically emerge from their cocoons in mid-July. If you just found this cocoon, this would suggest that is has been unoccupied for two to three weeks. This time span makes an exact identification even more problematic due to structural changes that may have taken place in the cocoon.

See the following for further information on these and related points:

https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/forest-tent-caterpillars

https://facultyweb.cortland.edu/fitzgerald/foresttentcaterpillar.html

We apologize that we could not be more certain in our answer. Thanks for using our forum.