Columbia silkmoth
Hyalophora columbia (S.I. Smith, 1865)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Saturniinae
Identification: Wings are dark brown to red-brown. The gray area outside the white postmedian band does not contain any red. Crescent spots on the forewings and hindwings are white, although occasionally the spots on the forewing may be reduced or absent.
Wing Span: 3 1/8 - 3 15/16 inches (8 - 10 cm).
Life History: Females lay one or two eggs at the base of larch needles, or on leaves and twigs of other host plants. Caterpillars hatch in less than two weeks and are solitary feeders. The cocoon is compact and spun close to the ground on the trunk or stem of the host plant or on nearby thick undergrowth.
Flight: One brood from May-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: In the east laricina); in addition, caterpillars in western Ontario eat pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica), speckled alder (Alnus rugosa), and white birch (Betula papyrifera). In the west: western choke cherry (Prunus demissa), bitter cherry (P. emarginata), bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), wild roses (Rosa), willows (Salix), buffalo berry (Shepherdia argentea), Russian olive (Eleagnus angustifolius), and buckbrush (Ceanothus).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Woodland with poorly drained, boggy, acid soil; suburban gardens; and a wide variety of wooded habitats.
Range: In the east Quebec and Ontario to Michigan, northern Wisconsin, and southeastern Manitoba. In the west: Alberta and Montana south through the Rocky Mountain region to southwest Texas and into central Mexico. Comments: Glover's silkmoth, H. c. gloveri, once considered a separate species, is now treated as a subspecies of the Columbia silkmoth.
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 97 - 120 of 336 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 01, 2014
Submitted by: charlespharding
Region: Cache County, Utah, United States
Verified by: Josiah Gilbert
Verified date: Jul 02, 2014
Observation date: Jun 21, 2014
Submitted by: wildblue
Region: Sublette County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 25, 2014
Observation date: Jun 23, 2014
Submitted by: brandiwinesunshine9
Region: Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jun 24, 2014
Observation date: Jun 17, 2014
Submitted by: shells1025
Region: Summit County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jun 21, 2014
Observation date: Jun 15, 2014
Submitted by: Frederick Gralenski
Region: Washington County, Maine, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 20, 2014
Observation date: Jun 16, 2014
Submitted by: Jaxonking248
Region: Albany County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 18, 2014
Observation date: Jun 06, 2014
Submitted by: tabithadawnwestphal
Region: Missoula County, Montana, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 15, 2014
Observation date: May 29, 2014
Submitted by: Flora Warfel
Region: Custer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Jun 15, 2014
Observation date: Jun 06, 2014
Submitted by: briley2
Region: Fremont County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 13, 2014
Observation date: Jun 05, 2014
Submitted by: jhenders76
Region: Sublette County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 12, 2014
Observation date: Jun 06, 2014
Submitted by: maxczap
Region: Fergus County, Montana, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: Jun 09, 2014
Observation date: May 30, 2014
Submitted by: mtsh3ctor
Region: Cascade County, Montana, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: May 30, 2014
Observation date: May 26, 2014
Submitted by: mtsh3ctor
Region: Cascade County, Montana, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: May 30, 2014
Observation date: May 26, 2014
Submitted by: Wolfegang
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 27, 2014
Observation date: May 17, 2014
Submitted by: annbrown202
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: May 23, 2014
Observation date: May 05, 2014
Submitted by: kjcryts84
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: azukoff
Verified date: May 22, 2014
Observation date: Apr 26, 2014
Submitted by: Zoe Weil
Region: Hancock County, Maine, United States
Verified by: Jim Edsall
Verified date: May 05, 2014
Observation date: Apr 27, 2014
Submitted by: Zoe Weil
Region: Maine, United States
Verified by: Jim Edsall
Verified date: May 05, 2014
Observation date: Mar 18, 2014
Submitted by: azguy8212
Region: Yavapai County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Mar 24, 2014
Observation date: Sep 14, 2013
Submitted by: Ronon Le Birdis
Region: Garfield County, Utah, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: Feb 20, 2014
Observation date: May 26, 2013
Submitted by: OsborneLV
Region: Lincoln County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Feb 12, 2014
Observation date: Sep 12, 2013
Submitted by: drdale
Region: Yavapai County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 12, 2014
Observation date: Sep 09, 2012
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 12, 2014
Observation date: Jun 11, 2013
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Carbon County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 11, 2013
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