DISTRIBUTION:

The Range Caterpillar Moth, Hemileuca oliviae (wingspan: males: 47-53mm; females: 60-69mm) flies over grasslands in east-central New Mexico; northeastern New Mexico and nearby areas of Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas; Chihuahua, Mexico.

Hemileuca oliviae habitat, Gladstone, New Mexico, courtesy of Russell Witkop.

" Females are darker and much larger than males. Upperside of wings is tan to light brown; wings of female may have a pink tint. Forewing has a light brown costa and a faint median band." Photo (male) by Steven Stone.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This species flies from September - December.

Larvae feed on Grama grass (Bouteloua oligostachya), hairy mesquite grass (B. hirsuta), buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides), Texas timothy (Lycurus phleoides), and bromegrass (Bromus polyanthus).

Hemileuca oliviae (male), USA, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Hemileuca oliviae
Cockerell, 1898

Hemileuca oliviae female courtesy of Paul Opler.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Adults emerge in the late morning and mate after dusk.

Males use well developed antennae to track the female's pheromone plume.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Females lay rings of eggs around the stems of both host and nonhost plants. Eggs overwinter and hatch the following May or June. Young caterpillars feed in groups while older caterpillars are solitary feeders. Fully-grown caterpillars pupate in loose cocoons under a shrub or in tied-together grass blades.

Hemileuca oliviae Gladstone, Union County, New Mexico, courtesy of Jim Tuttle.

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae. 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.

Bouteloua oligostachya...... B. hirsuta Buchloe dactyloides Lycurus phleoides Bromus polyanthus

Grama grass Hairy mesquite grass Buffalo grass Texas timothy Bromegrass

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