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 318 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Oct 23, 2021
Submitted by: Quaker state mothing
Region: Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 11, 2021
Observation date: Aug 02, 2013
Submitted by: crx2aj3
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Jun 02, 2017
Submitted by: crx2aj3
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Jun 01, 2014
Submitted by: crx2aj3
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Jun 02, 2017
Submitted by: crx2aj3
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Jul 24, 2018
Submitted by: monikawood
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 28, 2021
Observation date: Sep 02, 2011
Submitted by: wecanshine
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 28, 2021
Observation date: May 05, 2012
Submitted by: terri.kevin
Region: Valencia County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 28, 2021
Observation date: Jun 21, 2021
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Roanoke County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 25, 2021
Observation date: Jun 12, 2021
Submitted by: milleroy
Region: Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 31, 2021
Observation date: Jul 21, 2020
Submitted by: Laurabkutka
Region: Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: May 30, 2021
Observation date: May 30, 2020
Submitted by: lmb123
Region: Blount County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: jasondroberts
Verified date: May 25, 2021
Observation date: Apr 20, 2021
Submitted by: Elloyd117
Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Apr 20, 2021
Observation date: Apr 07, 2021
Submitted by: JudyDarby
Region: St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Apr 13, 2021
Observation date: Jan 03, 2021
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe (Dennis Allen)
Region: Georgetown County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Feb 25, 2021
Observation date: Nov 30, 2019
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Marion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 25, 2021
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
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