Hemileuca nevadensis


Hemileuca nevadensis, the Nevada buck moth, is a species in the family Saturniidae.

Description

The female tends to be larger than the male, while males have black abdomens with red tips. The upperside of the wing is creamy white with black edges, each wing has "eyes" or black dots.

Distribution

They range from the west coast all the way east to Wisconsin and Michigan. There have been a few sightings in New York, but not enough to confirm it as a localized species.

Life cycle

There is one brood between September and December during that time the adult will lay eggs in rings around the twigs of the host plant. Once the caterpillars are ready to pupate they spin loose cocoons in plant litter near their host plant.

Larval foods

The adults don't feed.