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Hyalophora cecropia
Plate — illustration to come
MothNative · New Jerseydeclining

Cecropia Moth

Hyalophora cecropia

Saturniidae

The largest native moth in North America — a wingspan up to six inches, warm chestnut-brown wings with cream crescents and a rose-red base. Adults don't feed and live about two weeks. Their caterpillars are equally staggering: pale green with rows of blue, yellow, and orange knobs, sometimes bigger than your thumb.

Identify by

How to spot one.

  • 5–6 inch wingspan — largest native moth in NA

  • Warm chestnut-brown with cream crescent-moon marks

  • Rose-red patches at wing bases

  • Fringe of red-orange body hair

  • Feathery antennae (males) — big even for a moth

Life & behavior

How it lives.

Nocturnal. Males use those feathery antennae to detect female pheromones from up to a mile away. Adults do not eat. Caterpillars feed on a broad range of hardwood trees, then spin large tough cocoons attached to twigs — you can find them in winter on bare branches.

At a glance

The spec sheet.

Type
Moth
Active
May – July
Native to NJ
Yes
Conservation status
declining
Family
Saturniidae
Plants it uses

What it needs.

Plants this species visits, feeds on, or depends on. Names in hydrangea link to the plant’s Field Guide entry.

  • Wild black cherry

    Larval host

  • Maple, birch, willow, elm, apple

    Larval host

  • Lilac, hawthorn

    Larval host

Conservation

Widespread decline across its range. Vulnerable to light pollution (males can't find females), parasitoid wasps (introduced to control gypsy moth also hit Cecropia), and habitat fragmentation.

Sources

Summersweet NJ · Xerces Society

More moths

Others in this group.