This is one of my favorites in se. Arizona!

the Ocotillo moth Eupackardia calleta but I may have given up too early - 2 am

Females readily come to lights, but the males are typically diurnal. Usually post mated females fly in between 10:00PM and 1:00AM, but that's not law. I usually get a few each time I set up.

Try lower areas where the Ocotillo is abundant - either at the base or mid-way up Madera Canyon Rd.

Florida Canyon and Box Canyon to the left of Madera Rd. are also usually hot sights. It's also early in the season (of course that's based on rains - late July thru early August is usu. very good)

Best of luck and let me know if you find them. If you get a female, you should try to rear a few from eggs - the larvae are spectacular!

but ocotillos go bare as soon as the rains stop, what do they feed on then?

E. calleta actually feeds on Texas Ranger (leucophyllum frutescens) and on Ash (Fraxinus) in Texas. In Pima Co. Arizona, they feed on Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens). Larvae are fairly easy to find on Ocotillo, as they feed from the tops, working their way down. Ocotillo "whips" will be devoid of leaves where the larvae have been feeding. The larvae activity stage coincides with Ocotillo having leaves. Those who wish to raise E. calleta should have ocotillo available that they can continue to water. Lightly watered plants will maintain their leaves. Larvae have been found feeding on Trumpetbush (Tecoma stans)near lake Pena Blanca and in Guadalupe Canyon. E. calleta larvae in the Ajo-Organ Pipe N.M. region feed on Mexican Jumping bean (Sapium biloculare), and adults there have a later flight period - late fall/early winter, while Pima co. moths fly in July and August. Texas moths appear to have two flight periods, September to early November, with a second flight occurring in the early spring.

I have had excellent success here in the east with both se. Texas and se. Arizona stocks on Ligustrum sinensis and Prunus serotina. I have managed as many as two generations per year from both TX & AZ stocks and had success producing large handsome moths.

Eupackardia is generally not terribly difficult to rear; however, some populations are an exception and seem to exhibit narrow host palatability - particularly those from Organ Pipe sw. AZ and stocks (taxa) from the mountains of central Mexico (these Mexican types are unusually large and nocturnal in reproductive habits = nr. cecropia in size).

The cat's of this species grow pretty fast and I suspect the foliage lasts just long enough for them to complete the cycle. It seems as though I have seen the larvae as late as easrly September on Ocotillo foliage, but that may be relative to yearly flux, alt. and location.

in AZ are only now completely bare again, but of course they were of a sickly yellow color (what other folks call lovely autumn colors) for most of October. We had healthy big caterpillars in the middle of September. http://www.flickr.com/photos/80674874@N02/8004608555/

Looks like the larvae were on schedule (adults in late July thru early August & larvae in Sept!).