Identification
Adult: forewing gray with brown lines and shading; note dark patch near base of forewing, thin scalloped postmedial line, and small pale spot near apex; in some postures, holds wings and tail up in the manner of some sphinx moths; hindwing reddish-brown
Larva: body clothed with long yellow, white, or gray hairs; long black, or orange and black, medial lashes on dorsum of second and third thoracic - and eighth abdominal - segments; black chevrons above spiracles; ends of prolegs red
[adapted from description by Wagner and Giles]
Range
Maine and southern Ontario to Florida, west to Texas, north to Wisconsin
Habitat
Deciduous forests and adjacent areas
Season
Adults from May-August.
Larvae from June-September
Food
Larvae feed on ash (Fraxinus), cherry (Prunus), maple (Acer), oak (Quercus).
Life Cycle
Two generations per year in the south; one in the north.
Remarks
An odd-looking species, easily mistaken for a sphinx moth.
Print References
Covell, p. 56, plate 8 #19
(1)
Wagner, p. 24--caterpillar
(2)Internet References
live adult and larva images (John Himmelman, Connecticut)
live adult image (Bob Patterson, Maryland)
pinned adult image plus food plants (Dale Clark, Moths of Dallas County, Texas)
live larva image plus description, food plants, seasonality, life cycle (David Wagner and Valerie Giles, Caterpillars of Eastern Forests, USGS)
live larva image (Lance Risley, U. of Georgia, forestryimages.org)
live larva image (Giff Beaton, Georgia)
classification in family Bombycidae, subfamily Apatelodinae (Brian Pitkin, Butterflies and Moths of the World)
Contributed by
Cotinis on 12 July, 2004 - 2:54pm
Additional contributions by
Robin McLeodLast updated 21 February, 2006 - 11:10am
