HYALOPHORA OF THE WORLD

Female hybrid columbia (m) x cecropia (f)
Photo by Dan MacKinnon

HYALOPHORA (Duncan, 1841): Species of this genus (formerly Samia) are confined to North America. Generally, columbia fly in the Northeast, euryalus in the Northwest, gloveri through the Rocky Mountain chain, and cecropia (north and south) east of the Rockies. Hyalophora mexicana is described in 2014 from Mexico: Sierra Occidental: Zacatecas and Guanajuato.

Natural hybrid zones exist where distributions overlap. It is easy to hybridize all members of this genus, and moths can also be paired with Callosamia species.

Adults have the discal cells open, but the spots on the middle of the wing are opaque and not hyaline as in the genus Rothschildia.

In the larval stage, the enlarged dorsal scoli of the mesothorax, metathorax, and first abdominal segment distinguish this genus from all other members of the family. Abdominal Segments 1 and 2 bear two scoli below the spiracle. The scoli alpha of the first abdominal segment is much larger than those of the second abdominal segment.

Hyalophora columbia gloveri fifth instar, Arizona, courtesy of Harold M. Teising.

These moths belong to the attacini tribe of Subfamily Saturniinae, Family Saturniidae.

P indicates a photograph is available. The first state/country/etc., listed is the type locality.

Range may exceed that listed.

Listing of Hyalophora

P cecropia Linnaeus, 1758 east of Rockies in S. Canada and U.S.; possibly norhteastern Tamaulipas, northeastern Mexico
P columbia columbia S. I. Smith, 1865 Norway, Maine; Can/U.S. border east of Wisconsin
P columbia gloveri Strecker, 1872 S. Colorado, Rocky Mountains, Canada; Mexico: Sonora; Durango; Chihuahua
P columbia nokomis Brodie, Canadian Prairie provinces
P euryalus euryalus Boisduval, 1855 California, west coast Canada/U.S.; Mexico: Baja California Norte
P euryalus cedrosensis (Cockerell), 1914 Mexico: Isla de Cedros
P haghenbecki, Adolfo Ibarra, Daniel J. Curoe and Andres Ramírez-Ponce, 2018, valle de Tehuacan-Cuicatlan, Puebla, Mexico
P kasloensis Cockerell, 1914 Kaslo, British Columbia, Canada; Idaho, Montana.
P leonis Nassig, Nogueira, Naumann, 2014 Mexico: Nuevo Leon: Coahiuila: Sierra Madre Oriental
P mexicana Nassig, Nogueira, Naumann, 2014 Mexico: Sierra Madre Occidental: Zacatecas; Guanajuato

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Hyalophora kasloensis female, June 11, 2007, Spokane, Washington,
wild caught at lights, courtesy of Scott Smith.

Derek Bridgeouse sends the following "plate" with comments:

"Sent along a photo showing a few different Hyalophora from various geographical regions of BC.

"Top Left is a male from Ft. Steele near Cranbrook (southern interior mts) nr type locality of kasloensis (true kaslo).

"Bottom left is a female from Quesnel near Cariboo mts (sub-boreal interior). This moth shows definite columbia gloveri characters.

"Top right is a moth from Boston Bar, east of Coast Mts (southern interior).

"Bottom right is moth from Shuswap/Balmoral near Kamloops (southern interior); both I think show kaslo x euryalus characters."

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