Characteristics
 The cecropia moth is the largest North American moth. It has a wingspan of 5-6 inches. It is a very colorful moth. it has a red body with white stripes. reddish-brown wings with crescent-shaped white marks and eyespots on the upper tips. The edges of its wings are a light tan. The cecropia caterpillar is about four inches in length and is greenish-blue and it has two rows of red, yellow, and blue spiny tubercles on its body.
Range
 The cecropia moth is found east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. |
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Habitat
The cecropia moth can be found in open areas with trees.
Diet
 The cecropia caterpillar eats the leaves of many trees and shrubs, including ash, birch, box elder, alder, elm, maple, poplar, wild cherry, plum, willow, apple, and lilac. The cecropia moth does not eat. It's only purpose it to mate. It only lives for a few weeks.
Life Cycle
 The female cecropia moth lays rows of eggs on both sides of a leaf on a tree or shrub. The eggs hatch in 10-14 days and the caterpillars begin eating the host tree or shrub's leaves. The cecropia cocoon is
crescent shaped and is attached to a tree branch. There is one generation of cecropia born each year.
Behavior
The cecropia moth is mostly nocturnal and is rarely seen in the day. |
