DISTRIBUTION:

Grote's Buckmoth, Hemileuca grotei (wingspan: males: 37-46mm; females: 45-50mm), flies in central Texas; eastern New Mexico; and central Arizona to central Colorado in hilly mountainous regions with oaks.

Hemileuca g. grotei variation, Inks Lake State Park, Burnet County, Texas,
42mm, November 10, 1983, courtesy/copyright Charles Bordelon and Ed Knudson.

Hemileuca g. grotei variation, 10 m SE of Lampasas, Lampasas County, Texas,
46mm, November 20, 1983, courtesy/copyright Charles Bordelon and Ed Knudson.

The male's abdomen is black with a red tip; the female's abdomen is black. The upperside of all wings is brown: the hindwing is darker brown to black. Each wing has a cream-colored band which may not be complete; some individuals have only a few spots. Where the forewing band is present, it is divided by the white-centered cell spot.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This species flies from mid September to November.

Larvae feed on Texas live oak (Quercus fusiformis), Nuttall oak (Q. texana), blackjack oak (Q. marilandica), Gambel oak (Q. gambelii), Emory oak (Q. emoryi), and scrub live oak (Q. turbinella).

Hemileuca g. grotei female, Brackenridge Field Lab, Travis County, Texas,
54mm, November 23, 1999, courtesy/copyright Charles Bordelon and Ed Knudson.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Eclosions take place early in the morning and females call from 9:00-10:30 of the same day. Pairing with the slightly smaller males is very brief, usually less than an hour.

Females make their ovipositing flights in the early afternoon, sometimes flying as late as 6:00 pm.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Females lay eggs in bands around twigs of the host plant. Eggs overwinter and hatch in March or April; the young caterpillars feed together on oak flowers and when older they feed alone. Fully-grown caterpillars may wander for 2-4 days before making loose cocoons under plant debris or in sandy soil. Hemileuca grotei fifth instar, Killeen, Bell County, Texas, courtesy of Linda Truong.

Hemileuca grotei by Mark Sanders, Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, Travis County, Texas.

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.

Quercus fusiformis Quercus texana Quercus marilandica........ Quercus gambelii Quercus emoryi Quercus turbinella

Texas live oak Nuttall oak Blackjack oak Gambel oak Emory oak Scrub live oak

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