Sphingicampa montana
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Ceratocampinae
Identification: Can be quite variable. Female is larger than the male; male is darker and redder. Upperside of forewing is yellow to brown and the median area is lighter than the surrounding areas. The wing may have scattered small brown spots. Upperside of hindwing is yellow to brown with varying amounts of red.
Wing Span: 2 7/16 - 3 5/16 inches (6.2 - 8.4 cm).
Life History: Adults emerge in early evening and mate later that night. The following evening the females lay their eggs. 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 and overwinter in shallow burrows underground.
Flight: One flight from July-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Large-leaved cassia (Cassia emarginata) and Haematoxylon brasalita in Mexico, probably Mimosa or Acacia in Arizona.
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Washes in thorn forests.
Range: Santa Cruz and Pima counties in southern Arizona, south into the state of Jalisco, northwestern Mexico.
Conservation: Inventory populations to determine conservation status.
NCGR:
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 26, 2013
Submitted by: GCSnelling
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Aug 18, 2016
Observation date: Aug 31, 2015
Submitted by: Tiger01
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 07, 2015
Observation date: Jul 16, 2015
Submitted by: AZmamahinch
Region: Arizona, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Jul 28, 2015
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA
Region:
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
Observation date: Aug 10, 1991
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Clifford D. Ferris)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Aug 01, 1991
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (James P. Tuttle)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Aug 03, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kelly Richers & Ken Bliss)
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Jul 27, 1972
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Michael J. Smith)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Sep 22, 1999
Submitted by: kellyrichers (Kelly M. Richers)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Jul 28, 1986
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (James P. Tuttle)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Sep 04, 2003
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (James P. Tuttle)
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Aug 04, 1991
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Clifford D. Ferris)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Jul 31, 1989
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Clifford D. Ferris)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Jul 24, 2004
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (B/B)
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: Jul 27, 1991
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (James P. Tuttle)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Jan 28, 2009
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Sinaloa, Mexico
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004