Wild collected Hyalophora cecropia (x H. columbia?)
Male attracted to virgin Female Cecropia Moth.
(Coll. Date as given: mid-June 2000, 21:00-24:00)
approx. date above - 15 June 2000
Specimen compliments of B. Oehlke

On occasion, moths like the one above are encountered in areas where cecropia and columbia are sympatric.

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The 2 images above are of wild collected, naturally occurring specimens from a region where H. cecropia and H. columbia columbia are sympatric...and occasionally hybridize.

The wild collected specimens are similar in appearance to the lab produced hybrids of cecropia x columbia below.

Lab produced hybrids (cecropia x columbia)


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I have been informed that cecropia x columbia crosses occur with some regularity across much of eastern Canada (per. comm.). Similar specimens can also be found in areas of the notheastern USA and Great Lakes region where both cecropia and columbia are sympatric.

For additional information on natural hybridization between cecropia & columbia in e. Canada, please refer to the following article:

Bridgehouse, Derek W. A Case of Natural Hybridization Between Hyalophora cecropia and Hyalophora columbia (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) in Nova Scotia, Northeastern Naturalist, 13(1):29-34, 2006.