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 351 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 03, 2022
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 09, 2025
Observation date: Aug 05, 2023
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 09, 2025
Observation date: Jun 07, 2025
Submitted by: Cheri Pierce
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 07, 2025
Observation date: Jun 12, 2023
Submitted by: cabinndawoods
Region: Logan County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Mar 22, 2025
Observation date: May 14, 2015
Submitted by: pag@gcrcompany.com
Region: Halifax County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Feb 02, 2025
Observation date: Oct 03, 2024
Submitted by: chirpus
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Nov 16, 2024
Observation date: Jul 28, 2024
Submitted by: David Trently
Region: Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 04, 2024
Observation date: Jul 05, 2024
Submitted by: Cameala
Region: Juniata County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 15, 2024
Observation date: Jul 01, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 02, 2024
Observation date: May 25, 2024
Submitted by: Steven Wilson
Region: Morgan County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 26, 2024
Observation date: Apr 19, 2023
Submitted by: JJabaley
Region: Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 25, 2023
Observation date: Jun 26, 2023
Submitted by: GinjaNinja
Region: Louisa County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 27, 2023
Observation date: Jun 16, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Wilson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 27, 2023
Observation date: Mar 16, 2023
Submitted by: hsmarshall
Region: Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
Observation date: Apr 19, 2023
Submitted by: hsmarshall
Region: Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
Observation date: Apr 13, 2023
Submitted by: hsmarshall
Region: Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
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
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