National Moth Week is July 18-26!
Moths are amazing creatures. Take photographs and share your moth sightings with us to document the moths where you live.
Cecropia silkmoth
Hyalophora cecropia (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Saturniinae
Identification: Body is red with a white collar and white bands on the abdomen. Wings are dark brown with white hairlike scales giving a frosted appearance; forewings are red at the base. Crescent spots and the area outside the postmedian line are red on all wings.
Wing Span: 4 5/16 - 5 7/8 inches (11 - 15 cm).
Life History: Females lay rows of 2-6 eggs on both sides of the leaves of small host trees or shrubs. Eggs hatch in 10-14 days. Young caterpillars feed in groups on leaves; older caterpillars are solitary. The cocoon is attached along its full length to a twig; to escape predation by rodents and birds, the cocoon is usually constructed in a dark, protected area.
Flight: One flight from March-July in most of the range; two flights in the Midwest, from May-early June and then 2 weeks later.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various trees and shrubs including box elder (Acer negundo), sugar maple (Acer saccharinum), wild cherries and plums (Prunus), apples (Malus), alder and birch (Betulaceae), dogwoods (Cornus), and willows (Salix).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Successional habitats in many areas including urban and suburban environments.
Range: Nova Scotia and Maine south to Florida; west across southern Canada and the eastern United States to the Rocky Mountains.
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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 697 - 720 of 2148 verified sightings
Observation date: May 26, 2015
Submitted by: Joe Bartok
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 22, 2015
Observation date: Sep 07, 2015
Submitted by: JadeKyle
Region: Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 08, 2015
Observation date: Sep 05, 2015
Submitted by: ckkd
Region: Lincoln County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 08, 2015
Observation date: Aug 23, 2015
Submitted by: emilai333
Region: Muscatine County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Aug 31, 2015
Observation date: Aug 21, 2015
Submitted by: mirandagrimm
Region: Fayette County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 26, 2015
Observation date: Aug 22, 2015
Submitted by: Jrbradbury
Region: Oxford County, Maine, United States
Verified by: lisald100
Verified date: Aug 25, 2015
Observation date: Aug 22, 2015
Submitted by: Jordy
Region: Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Aug 24, 2015
Observation date: Aug 22, 2015
Submitted by: asmav
Region: Madison County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 24, 2015
Observation date: Jul 16, 2015
Submitted by: ssimon4
Region: Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 20, 2015
Observation date: Aug 13, 2015
Submitted by: Ally77dano20
Region: Erie County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 14, 2015
Observation date: Jul 31, 2015
Submitted by: George Christoff
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 05, 2015
Observation date: Jun 11, 2015
Submitted by: gardenman13
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Aug 04, 2015
Observation date: Aug 01, 2015
Submitted by: treichard
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 01, 2015
Observation date: Jul 31, 2015
Submitted by: idyllwild
Region: Andrew County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Jul 31, 2015
Observation date: Jul 18, 2015
Submitted by: Jo Spencer
Region: Powell County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 29, 2015
Observation date: Jul 09, 2015
Submitted by: moiray
Region: Oxford County, Maine, United States
Verified by: lisald100
Verified date: Jul 24, 2015
Observation date: Jul 09, 2015
Submitted by: moiray
Region: Oxford County, Maine, United States
Verified by: lisald100
Verified date: Jul 24, 2015
Observation date: Jul 18, 2015
Submitted by: bonniekat
Region: Butler County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 20, 2015
Observation date: Jun 01, 2013
Submitted by: Adaossi
Region: Alamance County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jul 19, 2015
Observation date: Jul 15, 2015
Submitted by: FoxyBaby2014
Region: Nevada County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 15, 2015
Observation date: May 28, 2015
Submitted by: CM Ogilvie
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jul 14, 2015
Observation date: Jul 04, 2015
Submitted by: montie
Region: Washington County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jul 05, 2015
Observation date: May 20, 2015
Submitted by: Rkornegay76
Region: Bergen County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jul 02, 2015
Observation date: Jul 01, 2015
Submitted by: John Schwartz
Region: Kane County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 01, 2015
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