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Species Hyalophora cecropia - Cecropia Moth - Hodges#7767
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
No Taxon (Moths)
Superfamily Bombycoidea
Family Saturniidae (Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths)
Subfamily Saturniinae (Silkmoths)
Tribe Attacini
Genus Hyalophora
Species cecropia (Cecropia Moth - Hodges#7767)
Other Common Names Robin Moth Identification Adult: wings dark brownish with red shading in basal area of forewing; discal spot crescent-shaped, red with whitish center on all wings; red shading beyond PM line on all wings [this last characteristic distinguishes H. cecropia from H. columbia, which has no red shading beyond PM line]
Larva: body very large, bright green or sea green with prominent dorsal knobs: thoracic knobs orange, abdominal ones yellow; sides of body with pale blue knobs; Columbia Silkmoth ( H. columbia) is very similar, but thoracic knobs red, abdominal knobs yellow-pink, knobs along sides more white than blue and set in black bases. (2)Range East of the Rocky Mountains, from Nova Scotia south to Florida. (3)
overlaps range of Columbia Moth in southern Canada and adjacent northern states Habitat Attracted to lights and increasingly common in urban and suburban areas (1)Season Flies from March to July (3)
Caterpillar seen from May to October [cite:4627] Food Larvae feed on leaves of various trees and shrubs including alder, apple, ash, beech, birch, box-elder, cherry, dogwood, elm, gooseberry, maple, plum, poplar, white oak, willow. (3)(1)
may also feed on lilac and tamarack
adults do not feed Life Cycle two or three generations per year in the south, one in the north;
2-6 eggs are laid in rows on both sides of leaf of small host tree or shrub;
eggs hatch in 10-14 days; young larvae feed in groups on leaves;
older larvae are solitary;
overwinters as a pupa in spindle-shaped silken cocoon attached lengthwise to tree branch
Tony Thomas points out: "These cocoons come in 2 forms,
the slim tight ones
and the loose baggy ones.
Not sure if it's a sexual dimorphism with the female having the baggy cocoon." Remarks Appears to be declining, likely due to parasitism by a tachinid fly, Compsilura concinnata, introduced to control the Gypsy Moth (2).
Not sure if this is the tachinid, but it is a tachinid and its eggs
See Also Although Covell's Guide to Moths says "Easily recognized by its large size and red body with white collar and abdominal cross bands" (1), this species is easily confused with the very similar Columbia Silkmoth [and vice versa]. Columbia Silkmoth has no red shading beyond PM line on forewing and hindwing, and is smaller [wingspan to 100 mm]. ( compare images of both species). Print References Covell, p. 52, plate 1--larva, 2--pupa, 10--adult (1)
Wagner, Caterpillars of Eastern North America, p. 245--photo of adult (specimen) and caterpillar (2)
Wagner, Caterpillars of Eastern Forests, p. 18 (4)
Tuskes et al., pp. 201-204 (extensive details on different instars of larva), plate 26--adult, 6--larva, figs. 39, 40--two forms of cocoon (5)
Himmelman, plate A-1, a series of photos showing life cycle (6)Internet References John Cody Gallery has a nice photo, some natural history info, and extensive rearing notes.
live adult and larva images plus comparison images of similar species (Moth Photographers Group)
live larva image plus description, food plants, seasonality, life cycle, US distribution map (David Wagner and Valerie Giles, Caterpillars of Eastern Forests; USGS) Works Cited | 4. | Caterpillars of Eastern Forests
By David L. Wagner, Valerie Giles, Richard C. Reardon, Michael L. McManus | |
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