Cecropia silkmoth
Hyalophora cecropia (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Saturniinae
Identification: Body is red with a white collar and white bands on the abdomen. Wings are dark brown with white hairlike scales giving a frosted appearance; forewings are red at the base. Crescent spots and the area outside the postmedian line are red on all wings.
Wing Span: 4 5/16 - 5 7/8 inches (11 - 15 cm).
Life History: Females lay rows of 2-6 eggs on both sides of the leaves of small host trees or shrubs. Eggs hatch in 10-14 days. Young caterpillars feed in groups on leaves; older caterpillars are solitary. The cocoon is attached along its full length to a twig; to escape predation by rodents and birds, the cocoon is usually constructed in a dark, protected area.
Flight: One flight from March-July in most of the range; two flights in the Midwest, from May-early June and then 2 weeks later.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various trees and shrubs including box elder (Acer negundo), sugar maple (Acer saccharinum), wild cherries and plums (Prunus), apples (Malus), alder and birch (Betulaceae), dogwoods (Cornus), and willows (Salix).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Successional habitats in many areas including urban and suburban environments.
Range: Nova Scotia and Maine south to Florida; west across southern Canada and the eastern United States to the Rocky Mountains.
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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 169 - 192 of 2116 verified sightings
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Observation date: May 27, 2020
Submitted by: TeamZ
Region: Lancaster County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 28, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/15957570813633846615462702859337.jpg?itok=cuI-ZyBP)
Observation date: Jul 17, 2014
Submitted by: Darren101
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 27, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/fb_img_1595675255651.jpg?itok=A1JE0hgS)
Observation date: Jul 24, 2020
Submitted by: akdd3173
Region: Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 25, 2020
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Observation date: Jul 19, 2020
Submitted by: Terilyn
Region: Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 19, 2020
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Observation date: Aug 25, 2019
Submitted by: Nick Schimpf
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jul 13, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/cecropia_1_3.jpg?itok=hzAH1s9v)
Observation date: Sep 08, 2019
Submitted by: Emma_Varley
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jul 13, 2020
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Observation date: Jul 09, 2020
Submitted by: sanfran909
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 10, 2020
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Observation date: Jul 06, 2020
Submitted by: amyrenea77
Region: Allegany County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 06, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_20200620_093642.jpg?itok=F2BoKDxy)
Observation date: Jun 20, 2020
Submitted by: ianfroese
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jul 06, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/cecropia1729fpope.jpeg?itok=SqgjYqD4)
Observation date: Jul 02, 2020
Submitted by: franpope
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 05, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20200705_082221.jpg?itok=xaTDzbEt)
Observation date: Jul 05, 2020
Submitted by: Malisa44
Region: Winnebago County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 05, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/butterfly_7.3.20_x3.jpg?itok=xpKJ6O8T)
Observation date: Jul 03, 2020
Submitted by: LALelko
Region: Livingston County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 03, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/cecropia_1_2.jpg?itok=oAJlskHk)
Observation date: Jun 24, 2019
Submitted by: franchi70
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 01, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_0408_4.jpg?itok=vYUJhWL-)
Observation date: Jul 04, 2019
Submitted by: L.Ladd
Region: Piscataquis County, Maine, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jul 01, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_20190614_063801172.jpg?itok=j9vjETQ5)
Observation date: Jun 14, 2019
Submitted by: tyler811
Region: Oakland County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jul 01, 2020
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Observation date: Jun 24, 2019
Submitted by: jebAdiah
Region: Chippewa County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jul 01, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20200630_134903.jpg?itok=9_Lma1n6)
Observation date: Jun 30, 2020
Submitted by: Sensstar15
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/a2cb1724-42e6-45b3-8018-b1ca33bf2e08.jpeg?itok=RKymTkP1)
Observation date: Jun 29, 2020
Submitted by: GMS2020
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_4508_6.jpg?itok=7HVjNLx5)
Observation date: Jun 16, 2020
Submitted by: cgowin
Region: Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_5371_0.jpg?itok=VcJG86bb)
Observation date: Jun 23, 2019
Submitted by: donker254
Region: Fall River County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 29, 2020
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Observation date: Jun 28, 2020
Submitted by: jbuckett
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jun 28, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/1c1f06d0-b9ad-4bcf-a0af-6761e8985292.jpeg?itok=MtoURZSt)
Observation date: Jun 26, 2020
Submitted by: Mendrola
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 27, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20200626_145114.jpg?itok=2MNIVr6D)
Observation date: Jun 26, 2020
Submitted by: Sandy8504
Region: Allen County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 27, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/moths_12.jpg?itok=ceOdkJlb)
Observation date: Jun 26, 2020
Submitted by: Kristen24060
Region: Montgomery County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2020
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