Our insect of the week for April 28, 2025 is the promethea silkworm moth, Callosamia promethea [LEPIDOPTERA: Saturniidae]. It is also known as the spicebush silkmoth because caterpillars prefer to eat the leaves of spicebush. You often see cocoons hanging from host plants (including sassafrass) in the wintertime. Once they emerge from the pupal stage, adults live about a week as they lack functional mouthparts and are unable to eat or drink. Curiously, females are active at night and males are active during the day. They are both active for a few hours in early evening. Females release pheremones to attract males. There is one recorded instance of a male detecting and finding a female located 23 miles away (likely several days worth of travel was involved). Males mimic the pipevine swallowtail butterfly (which is poisonous) [specifically, Batesian mimicry, for those who are curious].

The specimens in these photographs were collected (and photographed) by our former member, Frank Hitchell. The male is shown below. The female is the featured image (above).