DISTRIBUTION:

Hemileuca eglanterina annulata (wingspan: males: 60-80mm; females: 68mm) flies in Wyoming, Colorado and Utah, and possibly in Montana and New Mexico.

Hemileuca e. annulata, courtesy of Vernon E. Evans.

Visit Hemileuca eglanterina annulata male, Colorado, courtesy/copyright Charles Bordelon and Ed Knudson.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This species flies during the day (from 10:00am - 4:00pm) from mid June until early September.

Larvae feed on Purshia tridentata, Cercocarpus betuloides and Symphoricarpos. Russell Witkop reports them from Moffat County, Colorado, on serviceberry (Amelanchier).

Hemileuca annulata on serviceberry, Moffat County, Colorado, courtesy of Russel Witkop.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Pairings are probably brief (15-90 minutes), from late morning throughout the afternoon.

Hemileuca e. annulata female, Left Fork, Blacksmith Fork Canyon,
Cache County, Utah, July 8-9, 2005, 6000', courtesy of Vernon Evans.

Ex larva 18 June 2005, 6,000’ elev.
Pupated 2nd wk August 2005
Emerged 1st week May 2006
1.4rm S Cascade Springs
Wasatch County, Utah
Leg. Auvi Evans; courtesy of Vernon Evans.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited within a day or so of adult pairings. The eggs overwinter to hatch the following spring. Early instar larvae are black and highly gregarious.

Mature larvae feed alone and attain lengths of 55mm. Pupation is in the late summer or fall with moths emerging the following summer-fall suggesting this species has a two year life cycle.

Hemileuca e. annulata, first instar larvae, courtesy of Vernon E. Evans.

Hemileuca e. annulata, second instar larvae, courtesy of Vernon E. Evans.

Hemileuca e. annulata, third and fourth instar larvae, courtesy of Vernon E. Evans.

Hemileuca e. annulata, fifth instar larva, courtesy of Vernon E. Evans.

Matt Curtis writes, "I found two small colonies of Hemileuca eglanterina annulata larvae (3rd instar?) on Purshia tridentata while hiking in the mountain canyons this week. I took a few photos, which I have attached so you can see the habitat. I actually wrote a graduate level paper on this area, primarily on this species, back in 1984-85 at the urging of Steve Stone.

"The site is in Sinks Canyon, Fremont Co., WY., 1 July, 2010."

Hemileuca eglanterina annulata habitat and larva, Sinks Canyon, Fremont County, Wyoming,
July 1, 2010, courtesy of Matt Curtis.

Larval Food Plants

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Amelanchier Purshia tridentata Cercocarpus betuloides....... Symphoricarpos

Serviceberry Bitterbrush Mountain Mahogany Common Snowberry

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