Hyalophora cecropia
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Hyalophora cecropia, the cecropia moth, is North America's largest native moth. It is a member of the family Saturniidae, or giant silk moths. Females have been documented with a wingspan of 5 to 7 in (13 to 18 cm) or more. These moths can be found predominantly across eastern North America, with occurrences as far west as Washington and north into most Canadian provinces. Cecropia moth larvae are most commonly found on maple trees, but they have also been found on cherry and birch trees, among many others. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
Like other members of the giant silk moth family, the adult cecropia moth lacks functional mouth parts and a digestive system, so they only survive for around 2 weeks. To find a mate, the female cecropia moth emits pheromones, which the male detects with his sensitive antennae. Male cecropia moths can detect these pheromones from up to a mile away, although a male may fly up to 7 miles while searching for a female. Mating typically begins early in the morning and lasts until the evening.
After mating, the female lays up to 100 eggs. These eggs are mottled reddish brown and... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cecropia Moth sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1057th most-seen of the 1624 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cecropia Moth in Austin on a given day, against under 5% in April to February, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cecropia Moth sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
8th of 11
Of the 11 cities where we can rate Cecropia Moth sightings, Austin ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Toronto (Canada, about 10%), Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, about 10%) and Montreal (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Saturniidae
The closest relatives of the Cecropia Moth that you can see in Austin (family Saturniidae, Emperor and Giant Silk Moths) are Polyphemus Moth (about 10%) and Io Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cecropia Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Austin (12 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
