Home
Species Detail
Hemileuca peigleri
Hemileuca peigleri Lemaire, 1981
Attributes of Hemileuca peigleriFamily: Wild Silk Moths (Saturniidae) Subfamily: Buck and Io Moths (Hemileucinae) Identification: Male abdomen is black with a red tip, female abdomen is black. Wings are almost transparent. Upperside is gray with narrow black borders and black wing bases. Each wing has a wide white band and a small eyespot. Life history: Males fly near the ground, but females fly 10-20 feet high in the oak trees. Adults emerge in the morning and mating takes place in early afternoon. In the late afternoon, females lay groups of eggs in rings around twigs of the host tree. The eggs overwinter, and when they hatch in February or March the young caterpillars feed in groups. Caterpillars wander about and in May or June make their cocoons in leaf litter on the ground or a few inches underground in soft soil. Flight: One brood from November-December. Wing span: 2 5/16 - 3 1/4 inches (5.8 - 8.2 cm). Caterpillar hosts: Texas live oak (Quercus fusiformis), Havard\'s oak (Q. havardii), Shumard's oak (Q. shumardii), and Nuttall oak (Q. texana). Adult food: Adults do not feed. Habitat: Oak-covered hills. Range: Central Texas. Conservation: Populations should be inventoried to determine conservation status. NatureServe Global Status: GU - Unable to assign rank due to lack of available information. Management needs: None reported. | Documented Records for Hemileuca peigleri
|
