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 409 - 432 of 869 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 06, 2014
Submitted by: beezhjack
Region: Ottawa County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jul 01, 2014
Observation date: Jun 30, 2014
Submitted by: Aboover
Region: Knox County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Aboover
Verified date: Jul 01, 2014
Observation date: Jun 27, 2014
Submitted by: Squire
Region: Washington County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: Ryan St Laurent
Verified date: Jun 30, 2014
Observation date: Jun 27, 2014
Submitted by: Jean Herlihy
Region: Cumberland County, Maine, United States
Verified by: anthony.thomas
Verified date: Jun 28, 2014
Observation date: May 26, 2014
Submitted by: cgdavis9362
Region: Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 27, 2014
Observation date: Jun 05, 2014
Submitted by: birdlover1977
Region: Rutland County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: Ryan St Laurent
Verified date: Jun 27, 2014
Observation date: Jun 15, 2014
Submitted by: MnBWilliams
Region: Vermont, United States
Verified by: Ryan St Laurent
Verified date: Jun 27, 2014
Observation date: Jun 02, 2014
Submitted by: Chip Krilowicz
Region: Camden County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Ryan St Laurent
Verified date: Jun 27, 2014
Observation date: Jun 18, 2014
Submitted by: Connie Chesebrough
Region: Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 24, 2014
Observation date: Jun 15, 2014
Submitted by: lpopp
Region: Cumberland County, Maine, United States
Verified by: anthony.thomas
Verified date: Jun 21, 2014
Observation date: Jun 17, 2014
Submitted by: lahowar
Region: Chisago County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jun 18, 2014
Observation date: Jun 11, 2014
Submitted by: bernardston4
Region: Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: Lula Field
Verified date: Jun 14, 2014
Observation date: Jun 10, 2014
Submitted by: Alan Greatorex
Region: Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 11, 2014
Observation date: Jun 10, 2014
Submitted by: Dogbyt
Region: Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 11, 2014
Observation date: Jun 03, 2014
Submitted by: CraigOwens
Region: Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 03, 2014
Observation date: May 29, 2014
Submitted by: shannon723
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 29, 2014
Observation date: May 27, 2014
Submitted by: drynry
Region: Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 28, 2014
Observation date: May 27, 2014
Submitted by: drynry
Region: Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 28, 2014
Observation date: May 27, 2014
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 27, 2014
Observation date: May 22, 2014
Submitted by: Idun Guenther
Region: Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 22, 2014
Observation date: May 13, 2014
Submitted by: BenfieldBoys
Region: Cullman County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 14, 2014
Observation date: May 01, 2014
Submitted by: curtis.lehman
Region: Fulton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 10, 2014
Observation date: Apr 03, 2014
Submitted by: courtneyh
Region: Clarke County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 04, 2014
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA (W. Krupsaw)
Region: United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Mar 13, 2014
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