"Summer/Dark Phase Male"
Attracted to virgin female
~8:00 am EDT

After many trials using virgin females, this is one of only 3 males collected in se. Wake County over the past several years. These moths are common across the NC Sandhills and Coastal Plain, however, they only rarely occur in the Fall-line Hills and lower Piedmont of NC.

This species is typically diurnal (Females will on occasion come to lights). Virgin females begin to "call" between 7:30 and 9:00 AM and males generally arrive between 8:00 AM and noon. The males are fast, wary and a bit more difficult to net than are the males of promethea or angulifera. On occasion the males of promethea will come to calling securifera, but the females generally reject approaching promethea males by fluttering off.

NOTE: This species is subject to some seasonal variation. Typically, the Spring forms are lighter and brighter and the summer generations are usually darker and/or more washed out in appearance.

Examples
Moore Co.


Wake Co.