Explanation of Names
Author of species is Drury. Species name
maia likely comes from Greek mythology, quoting
this site:
"The Pleiades" was the name given to the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Maia was the eldest of the daughters, and said to be the most beautiful. Being shy, she lived quietly and alone in a cave on Mount Cyllene, in Arcadia.Identification
Forewing and hindwing black with narrow white bands. Tip of abdomen red in males, black in females.
Said to fly rapidly at mid-day through oak forests.
(1)
Caterpillar is variable, with base color ranging from black to almost white. Thorax and abdomen densely flecked with white dots. Many-branched spines can deliver a painful sting.
Range
Eastern North America: Maine to Florida, west to Wisconsin, Kansas, Texas. Rare in parts of range (northeast?), though alleged to approach pest status in the South at times.
Habitat
Dry woodlands with hostplant, presumably.
Season
October-November, only to September in north, to December in Florida.
Food
Larvae feed on Oaks, Quercus, especially Scrub Oak, Quercus ilicifolia. Wanders in later instars.
Remarks
Caution, caterpillars can inflict painful sting.
See Also
Caterpillars of Hemileuca lucina and Hemileuca nevadensis are similar. Host plant may help diferentiate them.
Print References
Covell, p. 48, plate 9
(1)
Wagner, p. 21--caterpillar
(2)
Wagner, p.239 - caterpillar
(3)
Himmelman, p. 196, mentions rarity in Connecticut.
(4)
Brimley, p. 266, lists for mountains and coastal plain of North Carolina, giving only a date of November.
(5)
