Attributes of Callosamia securifera
Sweetbay silkmoth
Callosamia securifera (Maassen, 1873)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Saturniinae
Identification: Males are much darker than females. Wings are yellowish brown; cell spots are yellowish, those on hindwing are often reduced or absent in the male. Underside is without much contrast between the basal and outer portions of the wings. Summer brood is darker than the spring brood. In the extreme south, females of the spring brood are often yellowish orange.
Wing Span: 2 15/16 - 3 15/16 inches (7.5 - 10 cm).
Life History: Both sexes are active during the day, and mating takes place between 1 PM and 3 PM. Females lay eggs at dusk, in short rows on the host plant leaves. Eggs hatch in about a week, and the young caterpillars are gregarious feeders. Older caterpillars are solitary feeders, and do not eat the main vein of the leaf. Instead, they cut the leaf petiole at the base and it falls to the ground, perhaps a defensive measure eliminating visual or olfactory signs of feeding. Several leaves are used to form the cocoon, which is attached to the host plant by a silk-reinforced petiole. The cocoon hangs from the plant throughout the winter.
Flight: Two broods through most of the range from April-May and in August; three broods in Florida and southeastern Louisiana from March-October.
Caterpillar Hosts: Sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Coastal swamps and moist areas in pinewoods.
Range: Coastal areas from Virginia south to the Florida panhandle and west through Mississippi.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Callosamia securifera
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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 400 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.
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The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.
| Observation Date | Submitter | Region |
Verified Date |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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May 21, 2009 | Alan Harvey | Bulloch County, Georgia, United States | August 30, 2011 | Details |
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April 29, 2011 | Tony DeSantis | Camden County, North Carolina, United States | April 29, 2011 | Details |
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June 01, 2010 | vinstanton | Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States | March 29, 2011 | Details |
| August 22, 2003 | legacy.reporter (Mark Etheridge) | Frederick County, Maryland, United States | March 10, 2009 | Details | |
| December 27, 1982 | legacy.reporter (Jeffrey P. Crolla) | Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States | July 25, 2008 | Details | |
| January 18, 2006 | legacy.reporter (Brian G. Scholtens) | Charleston County, South Carolina, United States | July 25, 2008 | Details | |
| January 01, 1970 | legacy.reporter (Richard B. Dominick Moth and Butterfly Collection) | Charleston County, South Carolina, United States | December 10, 2007 | Details | |
| August 05, 2007 | jasondroberts (Jason Roberts) | Paulding County, Georgia, United States | October 01, 2007 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Volusia County, Florida, United States | May 22, 2007 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Baldwin County, Alabama, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Lee County, Alabama, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Mobile County, Alabama, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Alachua County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Clay County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Duval County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Escambia County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Flagler County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Gadsden County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Hamilton County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Highlands County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Hillsborough County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Jefferson County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Lake County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Manatee County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Marion County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Okaloosa County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Okeechobee County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Orange County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Pasco County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Polk County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | St Johns County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Sarasota County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Volusia County, Florida, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Brooks County, Georgia, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Charlton County, Georgia, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Chatham County, Georgia, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Glynn County, Georgia, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Richmond County, Georgia, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Georgia, Screven County, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Georgia, Turner County, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Georgia, United States, Ware County | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Georgia, United States, Wayne County | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | St Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Hancock County, Mississippi, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Harrison County, Mississippi, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Jackson County, Mississippi, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Lee County, Mississippi, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Stone County, Mississippi, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Bladen County, North Carolina, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details |
