Eastern buckmoth
Hemileuca maia (Drury, 1773)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Hemileucinae
Identification: Females are larger than males. Male abdomen is black with a red tip, female abdomen is black. Upperside is black with an off-white median band and a small eyespot on each wing.
Wing Span: 2 - 3 inches (5 - 7.5 cm).
Life History: Adults emerge in the morning and mating takes place in early afternoon. In the late afternoon, females lay groups of eggs in rings around twigs of the host. The eggs overwinter, and when they hatch the next spring the young caterpillars feed in groups. Caterpillars wander about and make their cocoons in leaf litter on the ground or a few inches underground in soft soil.
Flight: One brood from September-December.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various oaks including scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia), live oak (Q. virginiana), blackjack oak (Q. marilandica), and dwarf chestnut oak (Q. prinoides).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Scrub oak-pine sand barrens, oak woods, and oak trees in cities.
Range: Maine west to eastern Kansas; south to northern Florida, the Gulf states, and eastern 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 97 - 120 of 346 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 09, 2015
Submitted by: Jim Irre
Region: Virginia, Warren County, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 13, 2015
Observation date: Nov 06, 2015
Submitted by: Carol Thornton-...
Region: Orange County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Nov 07, 2015
Observation date: Sep 29, 2015
Submitted by: lizd
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 02, 2015
Observation date: Jun 06, 2015
Submitted by: jzhcats
Region: Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 14, 2015
Observation date: Jul 06, 2015
Submitted by: mwaugh
Region: Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 06, 2015
Observation date: Jul 01, 2015
Submitted by: pandibear
Region: Wolfe County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 02, 2015
Observation date: May 30, 2015
Submitted by: Dawn Jordan
Region: Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 31, 2015
Observation date: May 14, 2015
Submitted by: Morgan Ables
Region: Garland County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 14, 2015
Observation date: Apr 28, 2015
Submitted by: erincoats
Region: Cass County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 06, 2015
Observation date: Apr 10, 2015
Submitted by: Christine Mooney
Region: Volusia County, Florida, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 05, 2015
Observation date: Apr 09, 2015
Submitted by: Talisheek
Region: St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 13, 2015
Observation date: Apr 12, 2015
Submitted by: BoBo49
Region: Jefferson County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 13, 2015
Observation date: Jun 21, 2014
Submitted by: TeaKH
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: TeaKH
Verified date: Jan 12, 2015
Observation date: Nov 05, 2011
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Pickett County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Ken Childs
Verified date: Dec 28, 2014
Observation date: Sep 23, 2014
Submitted by: jim8435wisc
Region: Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 26, 2014
Observation date: Dec 20, 2014
Submitted by: Julius
Region: Bradley County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Ken Childs
Verified date: Dec 20, 2014
Observation date: Aug 08, 2014
Submitted by: wmedwynter
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 13, 2014
Observation date: Jun 22, 2014
Submitted by: Cyrus Li
Region: Montgomery County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 13, 2014
Observation date: May 29, 2014
Submitted by: Melanie - Texas
Region: Hardin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: kmortensen
Verified date: Jun 30, 2014
Observation date: May 21, 2014
Submitted by: Ken Bosso
Region: East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 06, 2014
Observation date: May 25, 2014
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 27, 2014
Observation date: May 04, 2014
Submitted by: cstar29
Region: New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 17, 2014
Observation date: Apr 30, 2014
Submitted by: nicmelo
Region: Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 02, 2014
Observation date: Sep 30, 2012
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Ryan St Laurent
Verified date: Feb 25, 2014
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