Hera buckmoth
Hemileuca hera (Harris, 1841)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Hemileucinae
Identification: Wings are white with black markings including a black crescent-shaped cell spot on each wing. Subspecies marcata (southern Oregon and northern California) has the black markings much reduced. Subspecies magnifica (northeastern Arizona, northern New Mexico, southern Colorado) is larger than the others and has darker, heavier markings.
Wing Span: 2 3/4 - 3 5/8 inches (7.1 - 9.3 cm).
Life History: Adults emerge in early morning and are day fliers, mating in late morning. Females lay eggs in rings around twigs of host plants. Eggs overwinter and hatch from April-June. Young caterpillars feed together while older ones feed alone. Fully-grown caterpillars overwinter in loose cocoons in the leaf litter or in burrows in soft soil. Adults emerge from July-September, but at high elevations and northern latitudes, the cocoons overwinter and adults emerge in the spring.
Flight:
Caterpillar Hosts: Basin big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and sand sagebrush (A. filifolia).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Great Basin sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper woodland, and subalpine sagebrush meadows.
Range: Great Basin area from southwestern Saskatchewan west to southeastern British Columbia; south to western Colorado, central Utah, and central Nevada. Subspecies marcata is in southern Oregon and northern California, while subspecies magnifica occurs in northeastern Arizona, northern New Mexico, and southern Colorado.
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 1 - 24 of 131 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 21, 2018
Submitted by: Osolobo
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Sep 07, 2022
Observation date: Jun 07, 2022
Submitted by: AK2
Region: Rio Grande County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Sep 06, 2022
Observation date: Jul 28, 2022
Submitted by: linds_abernathy
Region: Jackson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Sep 04, 2022
Observation date: Jul 24, 2021
Submitted by: MissionBlue
Region: Amador County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Aug 31, 2022
Observation date: Jul 31, 2022
Submitted by: Ehewson161
Region: Alpine County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 11, 2021
Submitted by: lindsay1234
Region: Lemhi County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 18, 2019
Submitted by: stonepitts2
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: ishaan2009
Verified date: Oct 16, 2021
Observation date: Jul 29, 2016
Submitted by: Bixia
Region: Alpine County, California, United States
Verified by: ishaan2009
Verified date: Oct 14, 2021
Observation date: Jul 12, 2017
Submitted by: datilson
Region: Lake County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2010
Submitted by: techs
Region: Crook County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 13, 2012
Submitted by: techs
Region: Crook County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Mar 17, 2021
Observation date: Jul 21, 2018
Submitted by: bruce.taylor.pdx
Region: Harney County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Mar 14, 2021
Observation date: Jun 11, 2017
Submitted by: sebluemer
Region: Washoe County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 15, 2021
Observation date: Sep 12, 2011
Submitted by: nkorte1
Region: Garfield County, Utah, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 06, 2021
Observation date: May 14, 2020
Submitted by: mmorton27
Region: Utah County, Utah, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 05, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2017
Submitted by: 00Betty1
Region: Blaine County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 07, 2020
Observation date: May 16, 2019
Submitted by: Mathew Brust
Region: Sioux County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 11, 2019
Submitted by: Will Anderson
Region: Natrona County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Oct 20, 2020
Observation date: Jul 09, 2020
Submitted by: nohatsplease
Region: Summit County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jul 22, 2020
Observation date: Jul 11, 2018
Submitted by: wwittkop
Region: Johnson County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 25, 2020
Observation date: Aug 29, 2006
Submitted by: Dwaine Wagoner
Region: Niobrara County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Apr 08, 2020
Observation date: May 16, 2019
Submitted by: Mathew Brust
Region: Fall River County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Nov 04, 2019
Observation date: Jun 09, 2019
Submitted by: Kristi DuBois
Region: Phillips County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 12, 2019
Observation date: Jun 30, 2018
Submitted by: Shirley Bartz
Region: Saskatchewan, Canada
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 26, 2019
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