Eastern buckmoth
Hemileuca maia (Drury, 1773)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Hemileucinae
Identification: Females are larger than males. Male abdomen is black with a red tip, female abdomen is black. Upperside is black with an off-white median band and a small eyespot on each wing.
Wing Span: 2 - 3 inches (5 - 7.5 cm).
Life History: Adults emerge in the morning and mating takes place in early afternoon. In the late afternoon, females lay groups of eggs in rings around twigs of the host. The eggs overwinter, and when they hatch the next spring the young caterpillars feed in groups. Caterpillars wander about and make their cocoons in leaf litter on the ground or a few inches underground in soft soil.
Flight: One brood from September-December.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various oaks including scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia), live oak (Q. virginiana), blackjack oak (Q. marilandica), and dwarf chestnut oak (Q. prinoides).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Scrub oak-pine sand barrens, oak woods, and oak trees in cities.
Range: Maine west to eastern Kansas; south to northern Florida, the Gulf states, and eastern 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
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 297 verified sightings
Observation date: May 31, 2018
Submitted by: MDD
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Dec 15, 2020
Observation date: Jul 12, 2015
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Nov 27, 2020
Observation date: Oct 09, 2020
Submitted by: JMJaskula
Region: Newton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 11, 2020
Observation date: Oct 10, 2020
Submitted by: JMJaskula
Region: Newton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 11, 2020
Observation date: Sep 26, 2020
Submitted by: rmery
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 26, 2020
Observation date: Sep 21, 2020
Submitted by: Rcdcd
Region: St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Sep 23, 2020
Observation date: Nov 28, 2019
Submitted by: Jonathan Clark
Region: La Salle Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 24, 2019
Observation date: Oct 19, 2019
Submitted by: Cameala
Region: Juniata County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 19, 2019
Observation date: Oct 16, 2019
Submitted by: Jeme5
Region: New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 17, 2019
Observation date: Oct 11, 2019
Submitted by: David Badger
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 11, 2019
Observation date: Apr 14, 2018
Submitted by: totonka
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 29, 2019
Observation date: Jun 19, 2019
Submitted by: CRPurvis
Region: Randolph County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 11, 2019
Observation date: Jul 07, 2019
Submitted by: Mdziko
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 07, 2019
Observation date: Jun 29, 2019
Submitted by: Mike Sheehan
Region: Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 02, 2019
Observation date: Jun 18, 2019
Submitted by: Zanagoo
Region: Rockingham County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 18, 2019
Observation date: May 12, 2019
Submitted by: DebiS
Region: Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 12, 2019
Observation date: Nov 08, 2018
Submitted by: Stephen G.
Region: Boone County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: Stephen G.
Verified date: Apr 01, 2019
Observation date: Mar 28, 2019
Submitted by: amandabutterflyworld
Region: Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 28, 2019
Observation date: Oct 10, 2018
Submitted by: pmrules21
Region: Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 30, 2018
Observation date: Jun 27, 2018
Submitted by: Martha Case
Region: Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 24, 2018
Observation date: Oct 06, 2018
Submitted by: Mlday2day
Region: Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 07, 2018
Observation date: Dec 20, 2017
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe (Angie Cole)
Region: Horry County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 27, 2018
Observation date: Jun 16, 2018
Submitted by: Steven Wilson
Region: Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 16, 2018
Observation date: Jan 01, 1977
Submitted by: H Hooper
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 14, 2018
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