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 937 - 960 of 2148 verified sightings
Observation date: May 02, 1972
Submitted by: stomlins701
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 28, 2013
Observation date: Apr 13, 1972
Submitted by: stomlins701
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 28, 2013
Observation date: Sep 05, 2013
Submitted by: dGeorge
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: Jim Edsall
Verified date: Oct 09, 2013
Observation date: Sep 29, 2013
Submitted by: rlb5379
Region: Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 30, 2013
Observation date: Jun 13, 2013
Submitted by: AnnB
Region: Tazewell County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 12, 2013
Observation date: May 23, 2012
Submitted by: handorgan
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 11, 2013
Observation date: Sep 06, 2013
Submitted by: lenorah
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 06, 2013
Observation date: Aug 19, 2013
Submitted by: Anna and tay
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: Jim Edsall
Verified date: Sep 04, 2013
Observation date: Jul 22, 2013
Submitted by: frassetta
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 01, 2013
Observation date: Aug 21, 2013
Submitted by: Lutra
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: anthony.thomas
Verified date: Aug 28, 2013
Observation date: Aug 27, 2013
Submitted by: beccag92
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 27, 2013
Observation date: Aug 25, 2013
Submitted by: enorlin
Region: Putnam County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Aug 25, 2013
Observation date: Aug 08, 2013
Submitted by: jennifrf
Region: Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: Ryan St Laurent
Verified date: Aug 22, 2013
Observation date: Aug 20, 2013
Submitted by: Strongs
Region: Macon County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Aug 21, 2013
Observation date: Aug 13, 2013
Submitted by: Robert Haverick
Region: Washington County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: Ryan St Laurent
Verified date: Aug 18, 2013
Observation date: Aug 17, 2013
Submitted by: jennie_lynn85
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 17, 2013
Observation date: Jul 28, 2013
Submitted by: Joel Priest
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 16, 2013
Observation date: Aug 04, 2013
Submitted by: tebachman
Region: Cumberland County, Maine, United States
Verified by: anthony.thomas
Verified date: Aug 13, 2013
Observation date: Aug 12, 2013
Submitted by: yknpdlr
Region: New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 13, 2013
Observation date: Aug 11, 2013
Submitted by: Muskoka Sheila
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 12, 2013
Observation date: Aug 03, 2013
Submitted by: forro
Region: Shiawassee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Aug 09, 2013
Observation date: May 04, 2013
Submitted by: Mary Franceline...
Region: Powhatan County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 06, 2013
Observation date: Aug 02, 2013
Submitted by: PAMELA HERNANDEZ
Region: Marion County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 03, 2013
Observation date: Jul 30, 2013
Submitted by: Dave Kinney
Region: Wexford County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jul 31, 2013
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