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 266 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 28, 2017
Submitted by: dbifulco
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 09, 2017
Observation date: Jun 06, 2017
Submitted by: lilkriskattn
Region: Sequatchie County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Ken Childs
Verified date: Aug 04, 2017
Observation date: Jun 11, 2017
Submitted by: May778
Region: Paulding County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 26, 2017
Observation date: Jun 18, 2017
Submitted by: svigil
Region: Franklin County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 26, 2017
Observation date: Jun 22, 2017
Submitted by: addynest
Region: Guilford County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 24, 2017
Observation date: May 26, 2017
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 28, 2017
Observation date: Jun 20, 2011
Submitted by: sedges
Region: Georgia, Stephens County, United States
Verified by: mikelchap
Verified date: May 27, 2017
Observation date: May 04, 2017
Submitted by: ddodd
Region: Marshall County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: ddodd
Verified date: May 05, 2017
Observation date: Apr 23, 2016
Submitted by: amberyates97
Region: Union County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 16, 2016
Observation date: May 01, 2016
Submitted by: learning everything
Region: Garland County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 17, 2016
Observation date: Jun 08, 2015
Submitted by: southernguest
Region: Holmes County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 05, 2016
Observation date: Jun 18, 2016
Submitted by: Urgote
Region: Charles County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: richardhsmith
Verified date: Jul 09, 2016
Observation date: Jul 21, 2015
Submitted by: joseph92
Region: Powhatan County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Feb 03, 2016
Observation date: Sep 25, 2015
Submitted by: kmenagh
Region: Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jan 17, 2016
Observation date: Dec 04, 2015
Submitted by: njtauzier
Region: Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 07, 2015
Observation date: Nov 30, 2015
Submitted by: clintseitz@yahoo.com
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 02, 2015
Observation date: Jul 09, 2015
Submitted by: Jim Irre
Region: Virginia, United States, Warren County
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 13, 2015
Observation date: Nov 06, 2015
Submitted by: Carol Thornton-...
Region: Orange County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Nov 07, 2015
Observation date: Sep 29, 2015
Submitted by: lizd
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 02, 2015
Observation date: Jun 06, 2015
Submitted by: jzhcats
Region: Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 14, 2015
Observation date: Jul 06, 2015
Submitted by: mwaugh
Region: Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 06, 2015
Observation date: Jul 01, 2015
Submitted by: pandibear
Region: Wolfe County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 02, 2015
Observation date: May 30, 2015
Submitted by: Dawn Jordan
Region: Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 31, 2015
Observation date: May 14, 2015
Submitted by: Morgan Ables
Region: Garland County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 14, 2015
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