Cecropia moth

Cecropia moth

Cecropia moth

Common name: Cecropia moth

Scientific name: Hyalophora cecropia

Distribution: North America, west to the rocky mountains and northern Canadian provinces.

Description:
The cecropia moth is a kind of giant silk moth. It is one of the world’s largest and largest native North american moth with females having a wingspan of 6 inches. Specimens with larger wingspan have been recorded. Cecropia moth has quite an appearance with soft dark gray wings adorned with red and white markings. It has bright red or white body with shades of yellow and orange. Like most other moths, its body is covered with silky soft fur, is nocturnal and it is designed only for reproducing. It lacks mouth-parts and digestive system which shortens its lifespan to two weeks.

Cecropia moth caterpiller

Habit:

After becoming an adult moth, the female releases pheromones which can be detected by the males from a mile away. Although, a male can fly 7 miles in search of a female. After mating the female lays upto 100 eggs and dies.
Although adult cecropia moth can’t eat anything, cecropia moth larvae is known to eat leaves of maple, birch, apple and cherry.

Importance:
Insects are souls of nature, cecropia moth not only adds beauty to nature but also plays vital role in food chain, not to mention its ability of producing silk.