A large silk moth (4–5 inch wingspan) named for its host plant family. Caterpillars build elaborate hanging cocoons that overwinter on host trees. Adults — like other silk moths — have no functional mouthparts and live just a week.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
Callosamia promethea, commonly known as the promethea silkmoth, is a member of the family Saturniidae, which contains approximately 2,300 species. It is also known as the spicebush silkmoth, which refers to one of the promethea silkmoth's common host plants, spicebush. C. promethea is classified as a silk moth, which stems from its ability to produce silk, which it does in the formation of its cocoon. C. promethea lives in forests in the eastern U.S. and does not damage the trees on which it lives. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773.
Source: Wikipedia — Callosamia promethea Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Brown silkmoth with crescent-shaped white eyespots on forewings.
Similar species. Other silkmoth species.
Voice. Silent.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Adults: do not eat. Caterpillars: maple, oak, birch, sassafras, cherry.
Behavior. Medium-sized silkmoth. Males emerge before females; pheromone-driven mating.
§ Range
Eastern US from Maine to Florida
§ Habitat
Hardwood forests with sassafras, spicebush, sweet bay
§ Threats
Light pollution disrupting mating flights, pesticide drift, loss of native understory trees.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the cynthia silkmoth (promethea moth) is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Plant sassafras and spicebush. Reduce porch lighting May–July. Skip lawn pesticides.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Callosamia promethea
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Callosamia promethea
- iNaturalist · taxon 49298
- IUCN Red List — search for Callosamia promethea
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Callosamia promethea
§ Sources cited
- Butterflies and Moths of North America
- Xerces Society
- BugGuide
- iNaturalist
