Sphingicampa heiligbrodti

Family: Saturniidae

Subfamily: Ceratocampinae

Identification: Upperside of forewing is light gray with scalloped brown median and submedian lines. Upperside of hindwing is light gray with red at the base which may extend outward over most of the wing. Forewing has small white cell spots, and hindwing has larger black spots.

Wing Span: 2 1/16 - 3 3/16 inches (5.2 - 8 cm).

Life History: Young caterpillars perch on the undersides of petioles and feed on the leaf bases. Older caterpillars cut through petioles partway and bend down the leaves in order to feed on them. Caterpillars pupate in shallow burrows in the ground. Caterpillars of the spring brood emerge in the fall, and those from the fall brood overwinter as pupae in their burrows.

Flight: Two broods from March-June and from September-October.

Caterpillar Hosts: Honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), perhaps also Acacia.

Adult Food: Adults do not feed.

Habitat: Lowland thorn scrub, Tamaulipan brushland.

Range: Central to South Texas, south into the states of Tamaulipas and Veracruz, 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.

Comments: NULL

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