Calleta silkmoth
Eupackardia calleta (Westwood, 1853)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Saturniinae
Identification: Body is black with a red collar and red on the rear of the thorax. Wings are black with conspicuous white postmedian lines, which are wider in females. Triangular white spots on the wings range from large to almost absent.
Wing Span: 3 1/8 - 4 5/16 inches (8 - 11 cm).
Life History: Adult moths emerge in the evening and begin mating the next morning, as early as 7:30 AM until about noon. Females lay eggs beginning at dusk on the same day. Eggs are deposited in clumps on both surfaces of host plant leaves. Young caterpillars feed gregariously and older caterpillars are solitary feeders. The cocoon is attached to a twig by a short silken loop and is usually spun near the ground and often in shade.
Flight: In the southeastern mountains of Arizona, one brood from July-August; from central Arizona to Mexico, one brood from October-January; in South Texas, two broods from September-November and March-April.
Caterpillar Hosts: Ceniza (Leucophyllum frutescens), ash (Fraxinus), Mexican jumping bean (Sapium biloculare), and ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Thorn scrub, foothills and canyons of desert mountain ranges, and dry desert.
Range: The Rio Grande Valley and Big Bend areas of Texas; southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico south to Veracruz, Mexico; Guatemala.
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 1 - 24 of 105 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 29, 2024
Submitted by: LHaney71
Region: Comal County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 18, 2024
Observation date: Mar 05, 2024
Submitted by: mkthomas16
Region: Texas, Victoria County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 21, 2024
Observation date: Mar 05, 2024
Submitted by: mkthomas16
Region: Texas, Victoria County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 18, 2024
Observation date: Apr 22, 2020
Submitted by: Lincardona
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
Observation date: Apr 22, 2020
Submitted by: Lincardona
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
Observation date: Sep 28, 2022
Submitted by: Cillamarie
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 06, 2022
Observation date: Mar 26, 2019
Submitted by: Peary-Tarandus
Region: Santa Cruz County, California, United States
Verified by: mcduck
Verified date: Jun 05, 2022
Observation date: Nov 28, 2021
Submitted by: VictoriaZ
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 01, 2021
Observation date: Nov 17, 2021
Submitted by: VictoriaZ
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 22, 2021
Observation date: Feb 25, 2021
Submitted by: debbiefaught
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 03, 2021
Observation date: Jan 05, 2021
Submitted by: catsncuriosity
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Feb 09, 2021
Observation date: Nov 30, 2020
Submitted by: SusanneCooke
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 03, 2020
Observation date: Nov 23, 2020
Submitted by: strbula
Region: Texas, McMullen County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 29, 2020
Observation date: Sep 27, 2020
Submitted by: eatonb12
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 06, 2020
Observation date: Sep 29, 2020
Submitted by: Gramps
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 06, 2020
Observation date: Oct 03, 2020
Submitted by: wmatthews
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 06, 2020
Observation date: Oct 29, 2019
Submitted by: ORPI
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Aug 11, 2020
Observation date: Mar 02, 2020
Submitted by: mzabel
Region: Texas, Medina County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 15, 2020
Observation date: May 06, 2020
Submitted by: Yolanda Streeter
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 11, 2020
Observation date: Apr 30, 2020
Submitted by: yvonnetrevino12
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 04, 2020
Observation date: Apr 17, 2020
Submitted by: bcvgcw
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 20, 2020
Observation date: Apr 12, 2020
Submitted by: fmarcusobregon
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 17, 2020
Observation date: Apr 05, 2020
Submitted by: smahan
Region: Texas, Wilson County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 08, 2020
Observation date: Feb 21, 2020
Submitted by: Salty mama
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Feb 22, 2020
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