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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 383 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 05, 1969
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ecton, Wiley)
Region: Caldwell County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: May 16, 1975
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Hartman, Peter)
Region: St. Charles County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: May 14, 1979
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Linn County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig (Phillip Koenig)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1987
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Steins, David)
Region: Nodaway County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jul 04, 1972
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jungmeyer, Robert)
Region: Moniteau County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jul 29, 1975
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Harris, Kathy)
Region: Cooper County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: May 11, 1991
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Winkler, George)
Region: St. Charles County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Winkler, George)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jun 25, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Winkler, George)
Region: Texas County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Winkler, George)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1988
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Carlson, David)
Region: Cass County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jul 09, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Brunkhorst, Kevin)
Region: Lafayette County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Aug 09, 1977
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Douglas County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig (Phillip Koenig)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jul 01, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Gilbert, Sherri)
Region: St. Clair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1981
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Moore, Darin)
Region: Clay County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jun 13, 1971
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Morgan, Tom)
Region: Platte County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jul 03, 1975
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Key, Lori)
Region: Grundy County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig (Phillip Koenig)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jun 05, 1989
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ashley, D.C.)
Region: Atchison County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig (Phillip Koenig)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jun 08, 1991
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Baker, Rick)
Region: Crawford County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig (Phillip Koenig)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jan 01, 1987
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ellis, Scott)
Region: Ray County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jun 10, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Knisley, Greg)
Region: Henry County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jul 02, 1976
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Douglas County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig (Phillip Koenig)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Aug 01, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Winkler, George)
Region: Phelps County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Winkler, George)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: May 04, 1958
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Shier, Marion)
Region: Buchanan County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Sep 03, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Conners, Jeff)
Region: Sullivan County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Phillip Koenig; Heitzman, J.R.)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
Observation date: Jun 14, 1978
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Linn County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: Phillip E. Koenig (Phillip Koenig)
Verified date: Mar 05, 2009
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