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
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 112 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Sep 03, 2018
Submitted by: michelleron222
Region: Owyhee County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Oct 09, 2018
Observation date: Sep 12, 2017
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 11, 2018
Observation date: Jul 22, 2018
Submitted by: kdclause
Region: Sublette County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 26, 2018
Observation date: Jun 19, 2018
Submitted by: wwittkop
Region: Campbell County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 25, 2018
Observation date: Aug 11, 2008
Submitted by: isidoreajar
Region: Park County, Montana, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Feb 23, 2018
Observation date: Aug 09, 2012
Submitted by: Todd Stefanic
Region: Butte County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 05, 2017
Observation date: Aug 22, 2017
Submitted by: SpaceLoris
Region: Cassia County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 23, 2017
Observation date: Aug 03, 2016
Submitted by: Sue Orlowski
Region: Lincoln County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 18, 2016
Observation date: Apr 10, 2016
Submitted by: matthewjcampbell
Region: Umatilla County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: Apr 13, 2016
Observation date: Mar 22, 2016
Submitted by: matthewjcampbell
Region: Benton County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Mar 23, 2016
Observation date: Aug 08, 2015
Submitted by: Sue Orlowski
Region: Lincoln County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 20, 2015
Observation date: Jun 20, 2015
Submitted by: tmrichards
Region: Boundary County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: Jun 26, 2015
Observation date: Jul 28, 2012
Submitted by: ryDLar
Region: Harney County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: May 13, 2015
Observation date: Aug 29, 2013
Submitted by: denhug
Region: Ada County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: Jan 28, 2015
Observation date: Aug 13, 2013
Submitted by: John Ashley
Region: Shoshone County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: Jan 28, 2015
Observation date: Aug 03, 2014
Submitted by: Colofarmgirl
Region: Summit County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Sep 29, 2014
Observation date: Aug 09, 2014
Submitted by: accidentalshrike
Region: Lake County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: Sep 25, 2014
Observation date: Aug 12, 2014
Submitted by: wufwiddo
Region: Beaverhead County, Montana, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: Aug 12, 2014
Observation date: Jul 27, 2014
Submitted by: icosahedron
Region: Madera County, California, United States
Verified by: Josiah Gilbert
Verified date: Jul 30, 2014
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