Hyalophora cecropia
Encyclopedia
The Cecropia Moth is North America's largest native moth
. It is a member of the Saturniidae
family, or giant silk moths. Females with a wingspan of 160 mm or more have been documented. It is found as far west as the Rocky Mountains
and north into the maritime provinces of Canada
. The larva
e of these moths are most commonly found on Maple trees, but they have been known to feed on Wild Cherry and Birch
trees among many others.
), and eat their eggshells. Sometimes the newly hatched caterpillars have yellow bristles, which darken in a few minutes. As the caterpillars age, they molt 4 times. The second instar is yellow-green with black spots and spiny orange, yellow, and blue knobs. The third and fourth instars have smaller spines, and are similar to each other. The fifth instar is a whitish color with bright yellow, blue, and red knobs. The caterpillars feed heavily on their host plant and can grow up to five inches long. They then spin cocoons of brown silk
, usually wrapped in leaves of the host plant. They then pupate inside the two-layered cocoon. There is only one brood per year, the cocoon overwintering and emerging in spring. When the adults eclose
, they have to pump fluid into their wings to extend them. The females emit pheromones at night, which the male can detect with its large, plumose antennae
. Males can fly for miles in order to reach a female. The moths mate, and the female spends the remainder of her life laying eggs, while the male may mate several more times. Because the adult moths do not have mouth parts they are unable to eat. As a result, the lifespan for an adult Cecropia moth is generally only 7 to 10 days in the wild, perhaps a little longer or shorter, depending on how much movement the moth makes. For instance, if temperatures are cooler, the moth may remain mostly inactive, which will increase its lifespan. In captivity, this lifespan can be extended to about a month by placing the moth in the fridge directly after it hatches and its wings are dry. [Those who rear the moths may find this necessary to synchronize mating.]
. Males possess a very bushy antenna while females will have a moderately less bushy antenna. Females appear slightly larger in the abdomen due to the bulk of its many eggs. The abdomens of males appear more angular than that of the more rounded female abdomen.
s such as some species of wasp
s and flies
lay their eggs in or on the young caterpillars. The eggs then hatch into larvae, which consume the insides of the caterpillars. The parasitoid releases chemicals which take control of the regulatory mechanisms of the caterpillar. Once the parasitoid has grown enough, it induces the caterpillar to pupate. Once the caterpillars pupate, the larvae themselves pupate, killing the cecropia pupa. Squirrel
s have also been known to consume the pupae of cecropia moths, decreasing the population greatly. Pruning of trees and leaving outdoor lights on at night can also be detrimental to the cecropia moths.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
. It is a member of the Saturniidae
Saturniidae
The Saturniidae, commonly known as saturniids, are among the largest and most spectacular of the moths. They form a family of Lepidoptera, with an estimated 1,300 to 1,500 described species worldwide...
family, or giant silk moths. Females with a wingspan of 160 mm or more have been documented. It is found as far west as the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
and north into the maritime provinces of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e of these moths are most commonly found on Maple trees, but they have been known to feed on Wild Cherry and Birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
trees among many others.
Life cycle
The life cycle of the moth is much like any other saturniidae species. It lays oval-shaped, light brown eggs on the leaves of the host plant. When the eggs hatch, small black and hairy caterpillars emerge (first instarInstar
An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each molt , until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or assume a new form. Differences between instars can often be seen in altered body proportions, colors, patterns, or...
), and eat their eggshells. Sometimes the newly hatched caterpillars have yellow bristles, which darken in a few minutes. As the caterpillars age, they molt 4 times. The second instar is yellow-green with black spots and spiny orange, yellow, and blue knobs. The third and fourth instars have smaller spines, and are similar to each other. The fifth instar is a whitish color with bright yellow, blue, and red knobs. The caterpillars feed heavily on their host plant and can grow up to five inches long. They then spin cocoons of brown silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
, usually wrapped in leaves of the host plant. They then pupate inside the two-layered cocoon. There is only one brood per year, the cocoon overwintering and emerging in spring. When the adults eclose
Eclose
Eclose is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
, they have to pump fluid into their wings to extend them. The females emit pheromones at night, which the male can detect with its large, plumose antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
. Males can fly for miles in order to reach a female. The moths mate, and the female spends the remainder of her life laying eggs, while the male may mate several more times. Because the adult moths do not have mouth parts they are unable to eat. As a result, the lifespan for an adult Cecropia moth is generally only 7 to 10 days in the wild, perhaps a little longer or shorter, depending on how much movement the moth makes. For instance, if temperatures are cooler, the moth may remain mostly inactive, which will increase its lifespan. In captivity, this lifespan can be extended to about a month by placing the moth in the fridge directly after it hatches and its wings are dry. [Those who rear the moths may find this necessary to synchronize mating.]
Sex identification
Differentiating between sexes of this species is very easy. The most obvious difference is the plumose antennaeAntenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
. Males possess a very bushy antenna while females will have a moderately less bushy antenna. Females appear slightly larger in the abdomen due to the bulk of its many eggs. The abdomens of males appear more angular than that of the more rounded female abdomen.
Threats
Pests of the moths have become a huge problem. ParasitoidParasitoid
A parasitoid is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life history attached to or within a single host organism in a relationship that is in essence parasitic; unlike a true parasite, however, it ultimately sterilises or kills, and sometimes consumes, the host...
s such as some species of wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s and flies
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
lay their eggs in or on the young caterpillars. The eggs then hatch into larvae, which consume the insides of the caterpillars. The parasitoid releases chemicals which take control of the regulatory mechanisms of the caterpillar. Once the parasitoid has grown enough, it induces the caterpillar to pupate. Once the caterpillars pupate, the larvae themselves pupate, killing the cecropia pupa. Squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s have also been known to consume the pupae of cecropia moths, decreasing the population greatly. Pruning of trees and leaving outdoor lights on at night can also be detrimental to the cecropia moths.
External links
- Picture journal of cecropia development (warning, it may take a while to load)
- The cecropia moth
- Video presentation of mating Cecropia moths. One had just emerged from and was still on its cocoon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GQdcffdFlc, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4WdHLGQxdo
- cecropia moth on the UFUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
/ IFASInstitute of Food and Agricultural SciencesThe University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information...
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