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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 335 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 17, 2023
Submitted by: frogbandit
Region: Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 28, 2023
Observation date: Aug 06, 2016
Submitted by: Drewvanianyasss
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 04, 2023
Observation date: Dec 02, 2022
Submitted by: hsmarshall
Region: Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 19, 2022
Observation date: Jul 04, 2021
Submitted by: Staci Gibson
Region: Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Nov 19, 2022
Observation date: Oct 23, 2022
Submitted by: John429
Region: Jackson County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 25, 2022
Observation date: Sep 16, 2022
Submitted by: Maryboschetti
Region: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 22, 2022
Observation date: May 26, 2020
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Marion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 03, 2022
Observation date: Jun 07, 2022
Submitted by: Bugme50
Region: Perry County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 01, 2022
Observation date: May 26, 2020
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Marion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 07, 2022
Submitted by: Bugme50
Region: Perry County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 04, 2011
Submitted by: Susan McSwain
Region: Nelson County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jun 26, 2022
Observation date: Jun 04, 2022
Submitted by: Jennibaum
Region: Pickens County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 21, 2022
Observation date: Jun 05, 2022
Submitted by: lacski
Region: Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jun 14, 2022
Observation date: May 27, 2022
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Fentress County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: May 27, 2022
Observation date: May 11, 2012
Submitted by: Dana is wild 4 ...
Region: Lee County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 19, 2022
Observation date: May 13, 2012
Submitted by: Junebug1319
Region: Simpson County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 19, 2022
Observation date: May 10, 2012
Submitted by: Noah
Region: Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 08, 2022
Observation date: Jun 18, 2018
Submitted by: LaxGirl
Region: Hall County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 05, 2022
Observation date: May 04, 2016
Submitted by: Samathalee918
Region: Mississippi, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 02, 2022
Observation date: Jun 13, 2019
Submitted by: mothmama70
Region: Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jan 17, 2022
Observation date: May 23, 2018
Submitted by: clared
Region: Knox County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jan 04, 2022
Observation date: Nov 07, 2021
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Fentress County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Nov 22, 2021
Observation date: Oct 07, 2021
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Nov 15, 2021
Observation date: Oct 07, 2021
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Nov 15, 2021
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