Bicolored honey locust moth
Syssphinx bicolor (Harris, 1841)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Ceratocampinae
Identification: Much individual and seasonal variability. Females are larger than males. Upperside of wings ranges from reddish brown to reddish orange to brownish yellow. Forewing has a postmedian line which is distinct and bent toward the wing base or almost absent, and 0-2 white cell spots. Hindwing has no submedian line. Both wings have varying amounts of scattered black specks, or none at all.
Wing Span: 1 7/8 - 2 5/8 inches (4.7 - 6.7 cm).
Life History: Adults emerge in the evening and mate later that night. After dusk the next day, females lay eggs singly or in pairs on host plant leaflets. Hatching can occur in as few as 5 days, if the air temperature has been warm enough. The whole life cycle can be completed in 6 weeks. Fully-grown caterpillars pupate in shallow underground chambers. The late summer broods overwinter as pupae.
Flight: Populations in the extreme north have 2 broods each year from May-June and from July-August. There are 3 flights in the remainder of its range from April-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) and Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Deciduous woodland.
Range: Common. New Jersey west through southern Ontario to southwestern Wisconsin; south to central South Carolina, northern Georgia, central Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, east Texas, and the lower Rio Grande Valley; south to Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
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.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Sphingicampa bicolor
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 73 - 96 of 385 verified sightings
Observation date: Jan 01, 1981
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Anderson, H.)
Region: Pettis County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jun 05, 1969
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ecton, Wiley)
Region: Caldwell County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: May 16, 1975
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Hartman, Peter)
Region: St. Charles County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jul 29, 1975
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Harris, Kathy)
Region: Cooper County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: May 11, 1991
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Winkler, George)
Region: St. Charles County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Winkler, George)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1987
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Steins, David)
Region: Nodaway County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jul 04, 1972
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jungmeyer, Robert)
Region: Moniteau County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1971
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Rose, Debbie)
Region: Carroll County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1972
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Niemeyer, Leslie)
Region: Pike County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jul 25, 1981
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Pershing, J.C.)
Region: Texas County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig (Phillip Koenig)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1977
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Sparkman, Wess)
Region: Perry County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Aug 24, 1983
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Heitzman, J. Richard)
Region: Ozark County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1979
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Mayo, Dorothy)
Region: Randolph County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Aug 18, 1989
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kang, J.)
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig (Phillip Koenig)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: May 05, 1890
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Rowley, R.R.)
Region: Pike County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig (Phillip Koenig)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1971
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Morgan, Tom)
Region: Platte County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1973
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Eddy, Perry)
Region: Henry County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: May 31, 1982
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Heitzman, J. Richard)
Region: Andrew County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1979
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Gilbert, Judy)
Region: Cedar County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Apr 19, 1987
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Wayne County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig (Phillip Koenig)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Aug 26, 1989
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Holt County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig (Phillip Koenig)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1971
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jungmeyer, Robert)
Region: Moniteau County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1968
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bray, Curtis)
Region: Saline County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1971
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bamman, Debra)
Region: Randolph County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
- ‹ previous
- 4 of 17
- next ›