Our summer fundraiser has arrived, and we need your help!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America online and free. If everyone who uses this resource makes a donation, we could cover our ongoing costs, develop new features, upgrade the system, and maybe even remove those pesky ads. Please make a one-time or recurring donation to show your support for this valuable source of information. Thank you!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America online and free. If everyone who uses this resource makes a donation, we could cover our ongoing costs, develop new features, upgrade the system, and maybe even remove those pesky ads. Please make a one-time or recurring donation to show your support for this valuable source of information. Thank you!
Slosser's buckmoth
Hemileuca slosseri Peigler & Stone, 1989
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Hemileucinae
Identification: Male abdomen is black with a red tip, female abdomen is black and may have red bands, but not a red tip. Wings are translucent. Upperside of wings is gray with narrow black borders and black wing bases. Each wing has a wide white band and a small eyespot.
Wing Span: 2 1/2 - 3 5/16 inches (6.4 - 8.4 cm).
Life History: Adults emerge in early morning and mate between mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Females lay eggs in rings around host twigs in the late afternoon. The eggs overwinter and hatch in April, and caterpillars feed together 1-2 feet off the ground. Fully-grown caterpillars spin loose cocoons in leaf litter under the host. Most of these will emerge as adults in the fall, but some may delay emergence for up to 2 years.
Flight: One brood. Most flight records are from November.
Caterpillar Hosts: Oaks (Quercus).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Rolling sand plains.
Range: West Texas, western Oklahoma, and southeastern New Mexico.
Conservation: Populations should be inventoried to determine conservation status.
NCGR: GU - Unable to assign rank due to lack of available information.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
National Moth Week was July 23-31, 2022!
Moths are amazing creatures. Take photographs and share your moth sightings with us to document the moths where you live. Learn more.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 verified sightings

Observation date: Oct 19, 2016
Submitted by: bwilliamson
Region: Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: apan123
Verified date: Oct 19, 2016

Observation date: Nov 07, 2015
Submitted by: DebW
Region: Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: kmortensen
Verified date: Nov 09, 2015

Observation date: Oct 29, 2015
Submitted by: bwilliamson
Region: Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: kmortensen
Verified date: Nov 09, 2015

Observation date: May 10, 2014
Submitted by: hutchison.whitney
Region: Andrews County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 11, 2014

Observation date: Nov 15, 2012
Submitted by: kmortensen
Region: Texas, Midland County, United States
Verified by: kmortensen
Verified date: Nov 18, 2012

Observation date: Apr 27, 2012
Submitted by: kmortensen
Region: Gaines County, Texas, United States
Verified by: kmortensen
Verified date: May 02, 2012

Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA
Region:
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010

Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Chaves County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004

Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Texas, United States, Yoakum County
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004

Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Dickens County, Texas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004

Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Texas, Stonewall County, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004

Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Andrews County, Texas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004

Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Gaines County, Texas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004

Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Texas, Terry County, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004

Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Cottle County, Texas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004

Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Texas, Kent County, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004