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 529 - 552 of 869 verified sightings
Observation date: May 31, 2011
Submitted by: jwfortin
Region: Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 01, 2011
Observation date: May 29, 2011
Submitted by: curtis.lehman (Mary Lawrence)
Region: Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 31, 2011
Observation date: May 25, 2011
Submitted by: cstevens
Region: Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 30, 2011
Observation date: May 26, 2011
Submitted by: peglyn
Region: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 26, 2011
Observation date: May 03, 2011
Submitted by: taylorcreek
Region: Albemarle County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 04, 2011
Observation date: Apr 23, 2011
Submitted by: Julius
Region: Polk County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: jasondroberts
Verified date: May 03, 2011
Observation date: Jun 21, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Pfeiffer, Bryan)
Region: Essex County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (VBS staff)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 24, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ferguson, Mark)
Region: Caledonia County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (VBS staff)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 26, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (McFarland, Kent)
Region: Essex County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (McFarland, Kent)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 14, 1998
Submitted by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Region: Schoolcraft County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 14, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Lambert, Dan)
Region: Essex County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Lambert, Dan)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 26, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (McFarland, Kent)
Region: Essex County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (McFarland, Kent)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 11, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Alexander, Toby)
Region: Chittenden County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (VBS staff)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 11, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Lambert, Dan)
Region: Franklin County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Lambert, Dan)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 16, 1983
Submitted by: Dwaine Wagoner
Region: Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: mikereese
Verified date: Apr 27, 2011
Observation date: Apr 25, 2011
Submitted by: slmbernard
Region: Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 25, 2011
Observation date: Jun 03, 2007
Submitted by: joanne.russo
Region: Windham County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: H.D. McGuinness
Verified date: Apr 14, 2011
Observation date: Jun 29, 2010
Submitted by: Amanda Fulton
Region: Medina County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 01, 2011
Observation date: Mar 23, 2011
Submitted by: trossl
Region: Pickens County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Mar 30, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BobMoul (Bob Moul)
Region: Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Mar 22, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BobMoul (Bob Moul)
Region: Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Mar 22, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BobMoul (Bob Moul)
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Mar 22, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BobMoul (Bob Moul)
Region: Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Mar 22, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BobMoul (Bob Moul)
Region: Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Mar 22, 2011
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