Saturniidae of Ontario
Eacles imperialis pini male, Peterborough, Ontario, copyright protected, courtesy of
Tim Dyson.
Hyalophora cecropia, Timmins, Ontario,
August 11, 2010, courtesy of Jacqueline Morrish.
The following Saturniidae are found in Ontario. They are grouped
into respective subfamilies and tribes.
Clicking on a scientific
name will take you to a page with pictures and information.
If you have additional information regarding flight times
(listed below table) or additional species to add, please send email to
oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Visit North American Catocala (Underwing Moths) website.
Visit Ontario Catocala (Underwing Moths) website.
Visit Sphingidae of the Americas (Hawk Moths/Sphinx Moths) website.
Visit Ontario Sphingidae (Hawk Moths/Sphinx Moths) website.
Ceratocampinae
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Anisota manitobensis.
(wingspan: m: 39-41mm; f: 45-53mm), flies in the south central Manitoba; it may be just a clinal variation of Anisota stigma.
Female manitobensis have a pinkish cast on the forewing and males lack the hyaline area typical of most other Anisota.
Neither male nor female manitobensis have the black spotting found on stigma.
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Anisota virginiensis.
(wingspan: m: mm; f: mm), flies in the southeastern Manitoba. The burgundy-maroon males have a large translucent/hyaline patch on the forewing
outside the prominent white cell marking.
They are not often photographed in the wild as they fly only during the day in response to calling females. In this image, the female is in the
background. Females (below) are taken at lights.
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Anisota virginiensis female.
Pink-striped Oakworm Moth (m: 29-36mm; f: 43-51mm).
Males (much different appearance) fly in morning; females at night.
Females tend to be without dark spotting or with reduced spotting. All PEI female A. virginiensis show
very clear "complexion" with
stong contrast between fw purplish marginal area and orangey median area. |
Hemileucinae
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Automeris io io.
(wingspan: m: 65mm; f: 90mm). Males are predominantly yellow with large eyepot and red hairs on hindwing.
Females are considerably larger, with brownish forewing. Both sexes have a black postmedial band and a reddish subterminal band on the hindwing.
extreme southeastern Manitoba only
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Hemileuca nevadensis.
The (wingspan: m: 50-66mm; f: 55-70mm). Light coloured median area with yellow crescent cell mark, strongly surrounded in dark grey to black,
make identification to species level easy. There may be subspecies and some variations, however, that make determinations more difficult.
southern Manitoba.
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Saturniinae: Attacini
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Hyalophora cecropia male.
Cecropia (m: 120-145mm; f: 130-150mm). Males and females both come to lights. There is considerable variation
in the width of the red lines from specimen to specimen. Occasionally the forewing crescents are absent or greatly reduced.
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Hyalophora columbia male.
Columbia (forewing length: m: 45-55mm; f: 46-55mm). Ground colour ranges from brown to almost maroon. Most specimens are primarily dark brown
with some reddish-maroon highlights. The post median areas are dark grey, becoming much lighter, almost beige
at the outer margins. Males are seldom seen at lights as they only fly at dawn. southern and eastern.
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Saturniinae: Saturniini
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Actias luna male.
(wingspan approximately 115-125mm). This species is single brooded in Canada with moths on PEI on the wing
from very late May until very early July. The outer margin is traced with either a thin line of maroon scaling or
yellow scaling. The body sides may or may not have a line of pink scales.
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Antheraea polyphemus male.
(wingspan approximately 125mm). Ground colour varies considerable from reddish brown to tan.
Occasionally I see a melanic form with much grey scaling on the wings and sides of the body.
Flies from very late May into early July.
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Hyalophora cecropia female (verso), Ottawa, Ontario,
June 4, 2011, courtesy of Marguerite Hayes.
Anistoa finlaysoni, northeastern shore of Lake Ontario in southcentral Ontario (Toronto to Kingston), mid June to mid July.
Anisota senatoria, extreme southcentral Ontario, along the northern shore of Lake Erie, fly as far north as the
southwestern shore of Lake Ontario further to the east.
Anisota stigma, extreme southern Ontario, along the northern shore of Lake Erie, fly from mid June to early August.
Anisota virginiensis, across all of southern Ontario, mid June to mid July.
Dryocampa r. rubicunda, across all of southern Ontario except extreme southwest, mid May to mid August, probably as two flights.
Dryocampa r. alba, across all of southern Ontario except extreme southwest, mid May to mid August, probably as two flights.
Eacles i. imperialis, extreme southern Ontario, along the northern shore of Lake Erie, fly from mid June to end of July.
Eacles i. pini, northern shores of Lake Superior, Lake Huron and Lake Ontario, fly from mid June to end of July.
Sphingicampa bicolor, extreme southern Ontario, along the northern shore of Lake Erie, fly from mid May to early August, probably as two flights.
Automeris io, southwestern and south eastern not above Lake Huron or Lake Superior, fly in June.
Hemileuca maia fly from mid July to mid October.
Callosamia angulifera fly from mid to late July.
Callosamia promethea, eastern Ontario, above lake Erie and lake Ontario, fly from mid May until mid August; possible second brood.
Hyalophora cecropia, across all of southern Ontario, fly from mid May to early August.
Hyal. c. columbia, across all of southern Ontario, June.
Actias luna across all of southern Ontario, fly from early May probably until end of June; there is at least a
partial second brood, starting in July.
Antheraea polyphemus, across all of southern Ontario, fly from late May until early July;
there may be a partial second brood in late July or early August in
southern regions.
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