Promethea silkmoth
Callosamia promethea (Drury, 1773)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Saturniinae
Identification: Males and females differ. Male body is black; wings are black with tan borders, faint tan postmedian lines, and pink near the eyespots on the forewing tips. Female wings are dark brown to reddish-brown with tan borders and well-developed tan cell spots on all wings.
Wing Span: 2 15/16 - 3 3/4 inches (7.5 - 9.5 cm).
Life History: Males seek females in the afternoon and early evening, with most mating occurring from 4 PM to sunset. At night, females lay rows of 4-10 eggs on the upperside of host plant leaves. Young caterpillars feed together while older caterpillars are solitary. Older caterpillars do not eat the leaf midvein, but cut the leaf petiole at the base so it falls to the ground, perhaps a defensive measure eliminating visual or olfactory signs of feeding. A caterpillar ready to pupate strengthens a leaf petiole with silk and then spins its cocoon inside the curled leaf. The cocoon hangs from the host plant throughout the winter.
Flight: One brood from May-July in the north, two broods from March-May and in August in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: A broad range of plants including spicebush (Lindera benzoin), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), white ash (Fraxinus americana), lilac (Syringa vulgaris), and others.
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Deciduous woodlands.
Range: Eastern United States to the Great Plains and Maine west through southern Quebec and Wisconsin to Minnesota; south to the Florida panhandle, the Gulf coast, and east Texas.
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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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 851 verified sightings
Observation date: May 13, 2022
Submitted by: Amiller462003
Region: Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 08, 2022
Observation date: May 31, 2022
Submitted by: Hope S
Region: Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: May 27, 2022
Submitted by: Rjfischer
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 28, 2022
Observation date: May 22, 2022
Submitted by: TiffTiff
Region: Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 25, 2022
Observation date: May 18, 2022
Submitted by: angelc76
Region: Henry County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 18, 2022
Observation date: Apr 23, 2022
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Fentress County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Apr 24, 2022
Observation date: Jun 17, 2020
Submitted by: Pillow_Pup
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 22, 2022
Observation date: Jun 01, 2021
Submitted by: Louise Dawson
Region: Genesee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 21, 2022
Observation date: Jun 05, 2021
Submitted by: Bob Saunders
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 22, 2022
Observation date: Jul 22, 2020
Submitted by: gravesjd@fronti...
Region: Lenawee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 15, 2022
Observation date: Jul 08, 2013
Submitted by: Ilse Gebhard
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Jul 06, 2021
Submitted by: Jen Brenke
Region: Monroe County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 13, 2016
Submitted by: Zelenaks
Region: New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 31, 2021
Observation date: Jul 24, 2014
Submitted by: steinmanjason
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 28, 2021
Observation date: Aug 04, 2019
Submitted by: Michellehb19
Region: Chenango County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 27, 2021
Observation date: Jun 30, 2021
Submitted by: wpareene
Region: Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 03, 2021
Observation date: Jun 22, 2021
Submitted by: Death_Cloud
Region: Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 24, 2021
Observation date: Jun 13, 2021
Submitted by: Jclarkaz
Region: Hancock County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jun 15, 2021
Observation date: Jun 09, 2021
Submitted by: isaidstopit
Region: Shawano County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jun 11, 2021
Observation date: Jun 09, 2021
Submitted by: vulpes
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Jun 10, 2021
Observation date: Jun 06, 2021
Submitted by: kcdemille
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 07, 2021
Observation date: Jun 07, 2021
Submitted by: rmery
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 07, 2021
Observation date: Jun 02, 2021
Submitted by: Cinderellain1977
Region: Calhoun County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Jun 06, 2021
Observation date: Jun 04, 2021
Submitted by: Vashaw0816
Region: Kalkaska County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Jun 06, 2021
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