Family Saturniidae Hodges # 7767
Caterpillar foods: alder, apple, ash, birch, box-elder, cherry, dogwood, elm, gooseberry, elderberry, maple, plum, poplar, white oak, willow, lilac, sweet gum (Bugguide)
The colored knobs on the caterpillar contain bad smelling liquid, probably for defense. (Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society 1884)
To see information about rearing Giant Silk Moths – Click Here.
Most of the times I’ve seen Cecropias here have been when I’ve had a reared female and it called in males. Either we don’t have many of them, or they don’t come to lights. I’ve found a few cocoons, but they’ve always been either old and no longer occupied, or dead.
9/13/2023 This is the one caterpillar I’ve found here – on a Box Elder ‘bush’. I brought it home and a few days later it made its cocoon.
6/15/2006 Reared female
6/19/2005 Mated pair – reared female, wild male
6/25/2005 eggs
6/29/2005 first instar caterpillars
7/11/2005 Second instar caterpillars
7/18/2006 Third instar caterpillar
8/17/2005 fifth instar caterpillar
10/19/2008 wild cocoon
Two reared adults
6/14/2005 Female
6/16/2005 Male