DISTRIBUTION:

Callosamia promethea is found in the southern extremities of Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick in Canada, and in the eastern half of the U.S. from latitudes of middle Maine to middle Florida.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

North of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois promethea populations are univoltine with moths on the wing from May to mid July. Taylor Jones notes an April 30, 2010, pairing on Staten Island, New York, probably due to unseasonably warm temperatures in early to mid April.

In the southern half of its range, promethea is bivoltine with winter diapause stock emerging from March to May, with the second brood emerging in August.
Although univoltine in the north, promethea exhibit a bimodal emergence pattern, with some of the winter diapause stock exhibiting an eclosion peak about three weeks before a second peak.

Elliot Krasfur writes, "I've found in Jefferson Co, WV, that a single family rearing of spring promethia will provide about 1/4 to 1/3 diapausers, the remainder being bivoltine.
"All my single family angulifera last year were univoltine - all went into diapause with no second generation. I've not seen even one second generation angulifera at blacklight here in WV in the past ten years, but east of the Blue Ridge, in D.C. and adjacent counties could obtain adults in late July and August (many years ago, in the 50's and early 60's).
"Also in Jefferson Co WV, polyphemus and luna are at least partially bivoltine.
"The heritability of voltinism in Saturniids needs to be investigated."

Bob Muller writes, "Reporting wild promethea males coming to caged females 6/1, 6/8 and 6/10. Otsego county, NY.
"Couplings 6/1 and 1/10.
"Males fly in the 3-4 PM range around here."

Visit Callosamia promethea female, October 12, 2009, courtesy of Jeremy Laratro.

The very late season emergence of the female promethea in October is quite a surprise. The cocoon had overwintered from summer of 2008.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Adults emerge from cocoons tightly fastened by a peduncle to tree branches in the morning hours. The moth has little difficulty pushing through the narrow valve at the top of the cocoon and will hang from the cocoon or a tree branch to "inflate" its wings. This species is dimorphic with the female being brownish in spring broods and reddish in summer broods. The male is usually black although males sometime show a reddish hue.

Photo courtesy of Tom Allen

I once heard a woman tell my father that he had the sexiest backyard in New Jersey. She was responding to his explanation of the swarms of male promethea flying around a backyard cage holding a scenting female. Female to right, courtesy of Leroy Simon, is getting ready to call.

This very unusual gynandromorph was sent to me by Linda Scholton with image by Laurie Schneider.

I have seen gynandromorph cecropia and imperialis before, but this is my first experience with a promethea. Linda can be contacted at lscholton@porterie.com

Callosamia promethea, wild male pairing with caged female, Staten Island, May 20, 2009, courtesy of Taylor Jones.

The male is not as large as the female and exhibits the basic black colouration on the ventral wing surfaces. Photo courtesy of Leroy Simon.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Relatively small, white eggsa are laid in short rows of four to seven eggs. Incubation is eight to twelve days. The larvae are striped around the girth and are gregarious for the first two instars. The coloration changes dramatically for the last three instars with the body losing its stripes and developing bright red or orange thoracic tubercles and a yellow caudal tubercle.

Photo courtesy of Leroy Simon.

The pupa is a dark brown and almost completely fills the tightly woven inner cocoon. Wild promethea cocoons are often found hanging from hostplants after leaf drop as the larvae always spin a strong peduncle that allows the long, slender cocoon to hang from the tree like a Christmas ornament. Wild cocoons suffer a high parasitization rate. Photo to left by Dan macKinnon

Bonnie Caruthers, New Hampshire, reports finding promethea cocoons on black cherry, beaked hazelnut and a red maple as well as the usual sassafras during fall of 2004.

Return to Main Index

Return to Callosamia Genus

Goto Canada - U.S.A. Index

Support this website and visit other insect sites by clicking flashing butterfly links to left or right.