Promethea silkmoth
Callosamia promethea (Drury, 1773)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Saturniinae
Identification: Males and females differ. Male body is black; wings are black with tan borders, faint tan postmedian lines, and pink near the eyespots on the forewing tips. Female wings are dark brown to reddish-brown with tan borders and well-developed tan cell spots on all wings.
Wing Span: 2 15/16 - 3 3/4 inches (7.5 - 9.5 cm).
Life History: Males seek females in the afternoon and early evening, with most mating occurring from 4 PM to sunset. At night, females lay rows of 4-10 eggs on the upperside of host plant leaves. Young caterpillars feed together while older caterpillars are solitary. Older caterpillars do not eat the leaf midvein, but cut the leaf petiole at the base so it falls to the ground, perhaps a defensive measure eliminating visual or olfactory signs of feeding. A caterpillar ready to pupate strengthens a leaf petiole with silk and then spins its cocoon inside the curled leaf. The cocoon hangs from the host plant throughout the winter.
Flight: One brood from May-July in the north, two broods from March-May and in August in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: A broad range of plants including spicebush (Lindera benzoin), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), white ash (Fraxinus americana), lilac (Syringa vulgaris), and others.
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Deciduous woodlands.
Range: Eastern United States to the Great Plains and Maine west through southern Quebec and Wisconsin to Minnesota; south to the Florida panhandle, the Gulf coast, and east Texas.
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.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 361 - 384 of 869 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 02, 2015
Submitted by: percherongal
Region: Chenango County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jun 03, 2015
Observation date: May 31, 2015
Submitted by: vcory
Region: Putnam County, New York, United States
Verified by: reutere
Verified date: Jun 01, 2015
Observation date: May 25, 2015
Submitted by: Bushytail3
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 31, 2015
Observation date: May 25, 2015
Submitted by: raymondcava
Region: Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 28, 2015
Observation date: May 27, 2015
Submitted by: jmhuyett
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 27, 2015
Observation date: May 26, 2015
Submitted by: diggytron5000
Region: Monroe County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: May 26, 2015
Observation date: May 26, 2015
Submitted by: LordMibu
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 26, 2015
Observation date: May 15, 2015
Submitted by: Les in Ohio
Region: Guernsey County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 21, 2015
Observation date: May 10, 2015
Submitted by: Les in Ohio
Region: Guernsey County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 17, 2015
Observation date: May 11, 2015
Submitted by: bmassa1980
Region: Baltimore County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 16, 2015
Observation date: May 10, 2015
Submitted by: treichard
Region: Allegany County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 15, 2015
Observation date: May 04, 2015
Submitted by: TravisL98
Region: St. Clair County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 04, 2015
Observation date: Mar 18, 2015
Submitted by: Hotty6544
Region: Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 21, 2015
Observation date: Jul 01, 1978
Submitted by: redbirds
Region: Ashe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 05, 2015
Observation date: May 30, 2014
Submitted by: wayne13114
Region: Oswego County, New York, United States
Verified by: wayne13114
Verified date: Feb 02, 2015
Observation date: Jun 14, 2014
Submitted by: reutere
Region: Delaware County, New York, United States
Verified by: reutere
Verified date: Feb 01, 2015
Observation date: May 29, 1980
Submitted by: Indy Entomologist
Region: Marshall County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 30, 2015
Observation date: Jun 09, 2014
Submitted by: reutere
Region: Delaware County, New York, United States
Verified by: reutere
Verified date: Jan 29, 2015
Observation date: Mar 14, 1979
Submitted by: Indy Entomologist
Region: Pulaski County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 27, 2015
Observation date: Jul 19, 2014
Submitted by: JFerris
Region: Ontario County, New York, United States
Verified by: reutere
Verified date: Jan 26, 2015
Observation date: Jun 09, 2014
Submitted by: reutere
Region: Delaware County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jan 23, 2015
Observation date: Oct 05, 2013
Submitted by: strixv
Region: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 07, 2015
Observation date: Jun 15, 2014
Submitted by: ronnielee31x
Region: Tioga County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Dec 12, 2014
Observation date: Jun 10, 2014
Submitted by: matthew300
Region: Chautauqua County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Dec 10, 2014
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