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 193 - 216 of 337 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 09, 2011
Submitted by: aclay10
Region: Apache County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Aug 17, 2011
Observation date: Jun 05, 2011
Submitted by: photomuse47
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Aug 16, 2011
Observation date: Jul 08, 2011
Submitted by: crysanthala
Region: Iron County, Utah, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller
Verified date: Aug 14, 2011
Observation date: Jun 29, 2011
Submitted by: iba2ian
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Aug 10, 2011
Observation date: Jul 11, 2011
Submitted by: James Fox
Region: Billings County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Aug 03, 2011
Observation date: Jul 10, 2011
Submitted by: hurricanedeck
Region: Converse County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jul 26, 2011
Observation date: Jul 01, 2011
Submitted by: olange
Region: Hancock County, Maine, United States
Verified by: anthony.thomas
Verified date: Jul 22, 2011
Observation date: Jul 04, 2011
Submitted by: jmheumann
Region: Gilpin County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jul 15, 2011
Observation date: May 29, 2011
Submitted by: Kahlua10
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jul 05, 2011
Observation date: Apr 18, 2011
Submitted by: blondie12usa
Region: Douglas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jul 05, 2011
Observation date: Jun 11, 2011
Submitted by: sissyfyia
Region: Gunnison County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jul 05, 2011
Observation date: Apr 07, 2011
Submitted by: bubblyalie13
Region: Pueblo County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jul 05, 2011
Observation date: Jun 19, 2011
Submitted by: SJ77
Region: Delta County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller
Verified date: Jun 29, 2011
Observation date: Jun 22, 2011
Submitted by: Luke Johnson
Region: Gallatin County, Montana, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 27, 2011
Observation date: Jun 22, 2011
Submitted by: GregNina
Region: Douglas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jun 27, 2011
Observation date: Jun 07, 2011
Submitted by: caligali
Region: Lewis And Clark County, Montana, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 07, 2011
Observation date: May 18, 2011
Submitted by: Kurvz
Region: Beaver County, Utah, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller
Verified date: Jun 06, 2011
Observation date: May 28, 2011
Submitted by: wasichu61
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 31, 2011
Observation date: May 08, 2011
Submitted by: unclewindy
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: May 17, 2011
Observation date: Apr 23, 2011
Submitted by: Bill Birky
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: May 02, 2011
Observation date: Apr 27, 2011
Submitted by: Val Ashley
Region: Apache County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Apr 29, 2011
Observation date: Jun 06, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Steve Hatt)
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: Jun 15, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Will Johnson)
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: H.D. McGuinness (Hugh McGuinness)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: Jul 01, 2006
Submitted by: dave priestley (David I. Priestley)
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: dave priestley (David Priestley)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
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