Hyalophora cecropia
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cecropia Moth sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 379th most-seen of the 822 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Cecropia Moth in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–May, July and October–December, 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.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Cecropia Moth sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Saturniidae
The closest relatives of the Cecropia Moth that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (family Saturniidae, Emperor and Giant Silk Moths) are North American Luna Moth (about 30%), Rosy Maple Moth (about 30%) and Imperial Moth (about 20%), 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 Great Smoky Mountains National Park (12 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
