User:Ggallice/Tricolor Buckmoth

The Tricolor Buckmoth (Hemileuca tricolor) is a moth in the Silkworm family Saturniidae. It is native mainly to the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States, including southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and Mexico.^[1]

	Hemileuca tricolor
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Class	Insecta
Order	Lepidoptera
Family	Saturniidae
Subfamily	Hemileucinae
Genus	Hemileuca
Species	H. tricolor

Adult Description

This species is sexually dimorphic, and the males are smaller and lighter in color than the females. Wingspan is between 2 1/8 - 3 1/8 inches (5.2 - 7.8 cm). The forewing is gray with a marginal, median, and postmedian white band, and a central yellow or orange eyespot. The hind wing in males is white and in females white to dull brown. The abdomen is red to reddish brown.

Food/Host Plants

Larval hostplants include Littleleaf Palo Verde (Cercidium microphyllum), Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), and Catclaw Mesquite (Acacia greggii). Adults do not feed.

Lifecycle

Eggs are deposited on host plant and hatch in July, after which the caterpillars feed until pupating. They then overwinter as a pupae and emerge in January. There is one flight per year, from January through April.

References

1. Opler, Paul A., Kelly Lotts, and Thomas Naberhaus, coordinators. 2009. Butterflies and Moths of North America. Bozeman, MT: Big Sky Institute. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/ (Version 03/22/2009)

^ Opler, Paul A., Kelly Lotts, and Thomas Naberhaus, coordinators. 2009. Butterflies and Moths of North America. Bozeman, MT: Big Sky Institute. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/ (Version 03/22/2009)

[butterfliesandmoths-1] Opler, Paul A., Kelly Lotts, and Thomas Naberhaus, coordinators. 2009. Butterflies and Moths of North America. Bozeman, MT: Big Sky Institute. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/ (Version 03/22/2009)

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