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
Get your BAMONA Gear!
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 1 - 24 of 383 verified sightings
Observation date: May 03, 2023
Submitted by: homofamiliaris
Region: Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: May 04, 2023
Observation date: Aug 03, 2014
Submitted by: Dave Rintoul
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
Observation date: Jul 31, 2016
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Adair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
Observation date: May 06, 2018
Submitted by: rreich
Region: Henry County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Dec 18, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 2019
Submitted by: Bob Kipfer
Region: Christian County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: May 19, 2018
Submitted by: sn_farrow
Region: Taney County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 29, 2021
Submitted by: Nancyk
Region: Hamilton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 14, 2021
Observation date: Aug 30, 2016
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Cass County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 13, 2020
Observation date: Aug 12, 2020
Submitted by: meadowglenfarm
Region: Scott County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Aug 12, 2020
Observation date: Jul 19, 2020
Submitted by: katelyn549
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 21, 2020
Observation date: May 12, 2016
Submitted by: dkielsmeier
Region: Winnebago County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 05, 2018
Observation date: Jun 05, 2018
Submitted by: ConstantPraise
Region: Champaign County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 29, 2018
Observation date: Jul 15, 2018
Submitted by: Carla Frazier
Region: Fountain County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 21, 2018
Observation date: Jun 30, 2018
Submitted by: taako
Region: Clinton County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 01, 2018
Observation date: Jun 16, 2017
Submitted by: Quivira NWR
Region: Stafford County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 12, 2018
Observation date: May 07, 2017
Submitted by: Taylor0861
Region: Van Buren County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: May 22, 2017
Observation date: Apr 28, 2012
Submitted by: Jon Rapp
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Jul 18, 2016
Observation date: Jul 10, 2016
Submitted by: Jon Rapp
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig
Verified date: Jul 13, 2016
Observation date: Jun 12, 2015
Submitted by: breevanmee
Region: Cass County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: kking216
Verified date: Jul 06, 2016
Observation date: Sep 09, 2015
Submitted by: msweet7
Region: Douglas County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: kking216
Verified date: Jul 06, 2016
Observation date: Aug 05, 2011
Submitted by: Gordilly
Region: Douglas County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: kking216
Verified date: May 30, 2016
Observation date: Aug 27, 2014
Submitted by: siadea
Region: Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Feb 03, 2016
Observation date: Jun 20, 2015
Submitted by: Jon Rapp
Region: Johnson County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 11, 2015
Observation date: Sep 05, 2014
Submitted by: Indy Entomologist
Region: Boone County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 16, 2015
- 1 of 16
- next ›