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 817 - 840 of 868 verified sightings
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Hocking County, Ohio, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Texas, Montgomery County, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Rabun County, Georgia, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Wake County, North Carolina, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Sandusky County, Ohio, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Jackson County, Illinois, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Baraga County, Michigan, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Ocean County, New Jersey, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Shelby County, Ohio, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Peoria County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Erie County, New York, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Wetzel County, West Virginia, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: La Porte County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Midland County, Michigan, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Saratoga County, New York, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Harlan County, Kentucky, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Roscommon County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Columbiana County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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