Columbia silkmoth
Hyalophora columbia (S.I. Smith, 1865)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Saturniinae
Identification: Wings are dark brown to red-brown. The gray area outside the white postmedian band does not contain any red. Crescent spots on the forewings and hindwings are white, although occasionally the spots on the forewing may be reduced or absent.
Wing Span: 3 1/8 - 3 15/16 inches (8 - 10 cm).
Life History: Females lay one or two eggs at the base of larch needles, or on leaves and twigs of other host plants. Caterpillars hatch in less than two weeks and are solitary feeders. The cocoon is compact and spun close to the ground on the trunk or stem of the host plant or on nearby thick undergrowth.
Flight: One brood from May-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: In the east laricina); in addition, caterpillars in western Ontario eat pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica), speckled alder (Alnus rugosa), and white birch (Betula papyrifera). In the west: western choke cherry (Prunus demissa), bitter cherry (P. emarginata), bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), wild roses (Rosa), willows (Salix), buffalo berry (Shepherdia argentea), Russian olive (Eleagnus angustifolius), and buckbrush (Ceanothus).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Woodland with poorly drained, boggy, acid soil; suburban gardens; and a wide variety of wooded habitats.
Range: In the east Quebec and Ontario to Michigan, northern Wisconsin, and southeastern Manitoba. In the west: Alberta and Montana south through the Rocky Mountain region to southwest Texas and into central Mexico. Comments: Glover's silkmoth, H. c. gloveri, once considered a separate species, is now treated as a subspecies of the Columbia silkmoth.
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 169 - 192 of 337 verified sightings
Observation date: May 29, 2012
Submitted by: bugmanpwhite
Region: Madison County, Montana, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: Jun 10, 2012
Observation date: Jun 07, 2012
Submitted by: bugmanpwhite
Region: Madison County, Montana, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: Jun 10, 2012
Observation date: May 31, 2012
Submitted by: bugmanpwhite
Region: Madison County, Montana, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: Jun 10, 2012
Observation date: May 01, 2012
Submitted by: Dustin Coulter
Region: Williams County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jun 06, 2012
Observation date: Jun 02, 2012
Submitted by: amazingclrbear
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 04, 2012
Observation date: May 22, 2012
Submitted by: Noel Mac Neil
Region: Grand Traverse County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: May 31, 2012
Observation date: May 30, 2012
Submitted by: stew
Region: Madison County, Montana, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 31, 2012
Observation date: May 29, 2012
Submitted by: hughsutherland
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 30, 2012
Observation date: May 28, 2012
Submitted by: npeasley
Region: Hancock County, Maine, United States
Verified by: anthony.thomas
Verified date: May 29, 2012
Observation date: May 11, 2012
Submitted by: fletchera
Region: Carbon County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: May 29, 2012
Observation date: Sep 06, 2011
Submitted by: bugmanpwhite
Region: Madison County, Montana, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 29, 2012
Observation date: May 18, 2012
Submitted by: miniflytyer
Region: Madison County, Montana, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 22, 2012
Observation date: May 17, 2012
Submitted by: rutabaga
Region: Teton County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: May 18, 2012
Observation date: May 16, 2012
Submitted by: Dwaine Wagoner
Region: Natrona County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: May 17, 2012
Observation date: May 15, 2012
Submitted by: Osmond Elementary
Region: Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: May 16, 2012
Observation date: May 15, 2012
Submitted by: Ilene
Region: Jefferson County, Montana, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 16, 2012
Observation date: Apr 28, 2012
Submitted by: A Moffatt
Region: Converse County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Apr 30, 2012
Observation date: Feb 23, 2012
Submitted by: shadesaz
Region: Yavapai County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Apr 17, 2012
Observation date: Jun 03, 2011
Submitted by: AJBrumble
Region: Valley County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: kent
Verified date: Jan 30, 2012
Observation date: Aug 26, 2011
Submitted by: bgorum
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jan 29, 2012
Observation date: Jun 16, 2011
Submitted by: klyndt
Region: Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: paulopler
Verified date: Nov 11, 2011
Observation date: Aug 07, 2011
Submitted by: kollen
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Sep 08, 2011
Observation date: Jun 14, 2011
Submitted by: KTaipan
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 28, 2011
Observation date: Aug 03, 2011
Submitted by: cpkarmy74
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Aug 22, 2011
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