Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Cecrops eyed silkmoth
Automeris cecrops (Boisduval, 1875)


Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Hemileucinae
Identification: Upperside of forewing ranges from beige to pink and has a thin yellow line running diagonally from the tip to the inner margin. Large black eyespot on hindwing is surrounded by an orange patch.
Wing Span: 3 1/8 - 4 3/16 inches (8 - 10.6 cm).
Life History: Eggs are laid in groups of 30-40 on the host plant. Young caterpillars feed together while older caterpillars are solitary. Fully-grown caterpillars pupate and overwinter in cocoons spun in plant litter on the ground.
Flight: One brood from May-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Fendler ceanothus (Ceanothus fendleri), catclaw mimosa (Mimosa biuncifera), mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus parvifolius), and oaks (Quercus).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Oak woodland, shrubland, and thorn scrub.
Range: Mountain ranges from central Arizona to southwestern New Mexico, and south into Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: GU - Unable to assign rank due to lack of available information.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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