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 457 - 480 of 869 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 15, 2003
Submitted by: fmgee
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Apr 29, 2013
Observation date: Apr 16, 2013
Submitted by: Corriemony
Region: Piscataquis County, Maine, United States
Verified by: anthony.thomas
Verified date: Apr 28, 2013
Observation date: May 15, 2012
Submitted by: klavierabend
Region: Orange County, New York, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 23, 2013
Observation date: Jul 16, 2009
Submitted by: Ilona L.
Region: Dane County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 09, 2013
Observation date: Jun 03, 2000
Submitted by: curtis.lehman (Paul Dennehy)
Region: Bedford County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 26, 2013
Observation date: Apr 08, 2004
Submitted by: curtis.lehman (Paul Dennehy)
Region: Montour County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 26, 2013
Observation date: Jun 03, 2006
Submitted by: curtis.lehman (Paul Dennehy)
Region: Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 26, 2013
Observation date: Jun 16, 2010
Submitted by: tjantscher
Region: Linn County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Jan 14, 2013
Observation date: Jun 06, 2010
Submitted by: tjantscher
Region: Linn County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Jan 14, 2013
Observation date: Jun 09, 2012
Submitted by: adelzeller
Region: Benton County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Dec 29, 2012
Observation date: Jun 08, 2012
Submitted by: LinCepek
Region: Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Dec 13, 2012
Observation date: Jul 24, 2011
Submitted by: Ken Childs
Region: Chester County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Ken Childs
Verified date: Nov 29, 2012
Observation date: Jun 01, 1994
Submitted by: curtis.lehman
Region: Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Nov 25, 2012
Observation date: Jun 27, 2012
Submitted by: K3Mike
Region: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Nov 24, 2012
Observation date: Jun 16, 2012
Submitted by: ellenjones6
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: Ryan St Laurent
Verified date: Oct 19, 2012
Observation date: Aug 11, 2012
Submitted by: stovallf
Region: Georgia, Telfair County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 22, 2012
Observation date: Sep 12, 2012
Submitted by: Liz L
Region: Bryan County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 22, 2012
Observation date: Jul 12, 2009
Submitted by: David Trently
Region: Campbell County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Ryan St Laurent
Verified date: Sep 17, 2012
Observation date: Jun 08, 2011
Submitted by: rosenthal.k
Region: Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 21, 2012
Observation date: Apr 03, 2012
Submitted by: andrew.david.white
Region: Dawson County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 17, 2012
Observation date: Aug 04, 2012
Submitted by: trek10
Region: Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 08, 2012
Observation date: Jun 29, 2012
Submitted by: widget
Region: Muskegon County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Aug 03, 2012
Observation date: Jun 06, 2012
Submitted by: rosemarie04921
Region: Waldo County, Maine, United States
Verified by: anthony.thomas
Verified date: Aug 02, 2012
Observation date: Jul 22, 2012
Submitted by: LECA
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2012
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