Insect · GBIF taxon 1866341
Promethea Silkmoth
Callosamia prometheaAlso known as Spicebush Silkmoth, Spicebush Silk Moth, Promethea Moth
Promethea silkmoths display remarkable sexual dimorphism, with dark blackish males patrolling woodland edges during late afternoon while larger reddish-brown females fly at night. Caterpillars spin a tough winter cocoon encased within a host leaf, securely binding the leaf stem to a twig with durable silk ribbons so it remains hanging on the tree all winter. Emerging in early summer without functional mouthparts, adults live briefly on stored energy solely to find a mate and lay eggs.
Silk SpinnerDimorphicForest Dweller
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Spicebush Leaves
- Sassafras Leaves
- Wild Cherry Leaves
Predators
- Songbirds
- Bats
- Parasitoid Flies
ThreatsLight pollution, habitat loss, heavy pesticide usage, and introduced parasitoid flies.
HabitatsDeciduous forests, woodland borders, shrubby fields, and parks.
Life span1 to 2 weeks as adults; 1 year full life cycle.
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderLepidoptera
- FamilySaturniidae
- GenusCallosamia
- SpeciesCallosamia promethea
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Searching for Cocoons: Scan bare branches of spicebush or wild cherry in winter for single leaves hanging firmly by silken threads.
- Observing Males: Watch sunlit forest openings in late afternoon when dark males fly rapidly in search of females.
- Attracting Adults: Set up a ultraviolet light sheet near deciduous woods on warm June nights.
Host Plant Partner "spicebush swallowtail caterpillar" by USFWS Headquarters is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Close Relative no rights reserved · cc0
Close Relative (c) Laura Gaudette, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Family Member "Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia)" by Slomoz is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/. · cc-by-sa
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Species set
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