Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Doris' pinemoth
Coloradia doris Barnes, 1900


Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Hemileucinae
Identification: Upperside a black line outlining a darker basal area. Hindwing is slightly paler and may have pink at the base or along the inner margin. Male forewings are gray-brown; hindwings are whitish and translucent, are faintly marked, and may be pink at the base and inner margin. Each wing of both male and female has a faint black submedian line and a small black eyespot.
Wing Span: 2 5/8 - 3 3/8 inches (6.6 - 8.6 cm).
Life History: Adults emerge from their cocoons in the late morning and mating begins at sunset. Shortly after mating, females lay eggs in clusters of 5-12 at the base of pine needles. Eggs hatch in about three weeks. Young caterpillars are gregarious, with 3-5 caterpillars feeding together on the same pine needle. Older caterpillars feed alone. Caterpillars spin loose cocoons under the soil surface in which they pupate and overwinter.
Flight: One brood from April-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), lodgepole pine (P. contorta), pinyon pine (P. monophylla), and perhaps other pines.
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Pine forests.
Range: Idaho and Montana south through Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada to Arizona and New Mexico.
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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