Hyalophora cecropia

Hyalophora cecropia, males

Features

Hyalophora cecropia, with a wingspan of 110 to 150 millimeters of one of the most popular in North America moth. The length of the forewings is in the females average 69 mm, in the males, the average is 75 millimeters.

The antennae are black and combed wide in males. The head is small and red, the collar is white. The thorax is covered with long reddish- brown hair, the abdomen is marked with orange-brown and white bands of equal width. The latter are edged with black at the rear end. The wings are reddish brown and wear white, hair-like scales, which give the butterfly a frosted appearance. The front wings are orange-brown at the base and are bounded on the outside by a narrow angled white band which extends from the inner edge of the wing to the Costa loader. The Diskoidalzelle is rusty brown with a large white crescent-shaped spot in the middle. This is outlined in black and reddish brown tint. Furthermore, there is a broad red-brown to orange band which is edged white on the inside. The wing tips are sprinkled with brown and gray. Near the wing tip, a black spot is a crescent-shaped bright drawing it. Based on this black spot is a white zig- zag line to the Costa loader. The marginal area is brown on the outside yellow and yellow inside. Two color spaces separated by a narrow black line. The drawing of the hind wings is similar to the front wing, also it is brighter and clearer. The white Diskoidalflecke are larger, the transverse bands are wider and edged on the inside strong white. The wing outer edge is dull brownish yellow and pale carries two black lines and a series of long, black, curved spots. The white of the Costalrandes extends to the vicinity of the wing tip.

Rarely gynandromorphism is observed. In this case, the two halves of the body are clearly different, distinctive are the two different sensor built. Sex differences on the two wing halves are substantially retained. The size of the wings thereby differs from that of a normally developed specimen. The wings of the female side are slightly larger, slightly smaller than the male side. Shape and drawing the wings also vary.

The caterpillars of the first stage (L1 ) are black. The caterpillars of the second stage (L2 ) are drawn yellowish green with black spots. The spiny tubercles are orange, yellow and blue. The spines of the third and fourth larval stage (L3, L4) are smaller, the two stages are very similar. The fifth stage (L5 ) is whitish, the tubercles are yellow, blue and red. The caterpillars reach a length of up to 125 millimeters.

The eggs are brownish marbled and oval.

Dissemination

Hyalophora cecropia is native to North America. The range extends from Nova Scotia in Canada and Maine in the United States in the Northeast to Florida in the south. In the West, the distribution area of the Rocky Mountains comes close, in Canada until the marine provinces. The species is often only to be found locally. Be colonized successional areas and settlement areas and their border areas.

Biology

The females lay eggs in rows of two to six piece from sheet to the upper or lower sides or on branches of trees and shrubs. After about ten to 14 days, caterpillars hatch and eat the first egg case. Young caterpillars live sociable, later instars are solitary. The caterpillars live on various trees and shrubs such as ash - maple (Acer negundo ), silver maple (Acer saccharinum ), wild cherries, plum (Prunus ) and apple trees (Malus ), birch (Betula ), alder, dogwood (Cornus ) and willow ( Salix).

For pupation the caterpillars produce a cocoon of brownish silk that is pieced over the entire length of a branch. For protection from predators is this a protected dark place. The outer layer of the cocoon is made of coarse silk, the inner layers are fine. The silk was used earlier after carding and spinning for the production of stockings.

After pupation, the temperature will decide on the further development. If it is in the next eight to ten weeks at most 6 to 15 ° C, then places the doll a diapause and suspend further development until the spring when the temperature rises continuously. The key event is the resumption of DNA synthesis; it is probably linked to the presence of the hormone ecdysone.

In most areas of the circulation area Hyalophora cecropia is a generation that flies from March to July. In the Midwest, creating two generations, it flies, the first from May to early June and later the second about two weeks. The moths are nocturnal and are rarely seen during the day. They fly in the early morning during the time of sunrise.

System

Hyalophora cecropia is the type species of the genus Hyalophora Duncan, 1841.