Hyalophora (Boise Idaho Complex) - Hyalophora

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths (Bombycoidea) » Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths (Saturniidae) » Silkmoths (Saturniinae) » Attacini » Hyalophora » "Natural Hybrids & Blend Zones" (Hyalophora "Natural Hybrids & Blend Zones")

Photo#473201

Copyright © 2010 Bill Reynolds

Hyalophora (Boise Idaho Complex) - Hyalophora -

Boise County, Idaho, USA
June 6, 1992

Boise Co.
Coll. M. Collins

The "Boise Idaho Group" is a "taxonomically enigmatic" population of "hybrid origin" (euryalus x gloveri/columbia).
For more details, please refer to the following:
The Wild Silk Moths of North America: A Natural History of the Saturniidae of the United States and Canada
By Paul M. Tuskes, James P. Tuttle, Michael M. Collins

Like H. "kasloensis", members of the "Boise Group" are of interspecific hybrid origin (columbia/gloveri x euryalus), reproductively stable and occupy a distinct and somewhat isolated part of the over all "Hyalophora range". Although similar to "kasloensis" in appearance, these moths are distinct.

Representative specimens of this "taxon"

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Contributed by Bill Reynolds on 17 November, 2010 - 1:42pm
Last updated 30 May, 2011 - 12:44pm

Beauty at my house today

One of these guys is sitting on my sliding glass door screen (inside) today in Penn Valley CA 95946, 3/18/13. He has been exercising his wings but mostly sits with his wings upright like a butterfly. I just read that is unusual for moth behavior. He is approx 4.5"x3.0". Took photos with my cell phone - will attempt to post.

… emmay, 18 March, 2013 - 4:16pm

Hyalophora species

The wing positon & movement behavior you mentioned is typical of many Saturniid moths, esp. those in the Tribe Attacini.

Given your location, you possibly saw a Ceanothus Silk Moth (or Ceanothus x Glover's Silk Moth Transitional). Compare your moth with those in the following links.

California "H. gloveri"
California "gloveri-euryalus intergrade"

images of H. euryalus
info for H. euryalus

The Boise group, like the moth pictured above, are actually a strange Hybrid population (euryalus x gloveri) occupying central Idaho.

… Bill Reynolds, 19 March, 2013 - 9:04am

Moved

Moved from Hyalophora.

… Bill Reynolds, 30 May, 2011 - 12:44pm

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