Black Locust
Robinia pseudoacacia
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Robinia pseudoacacia, Black Locust, courtesy of Ron White. copyright.

This is a very good tree for breeders of various lepidoptera. It is utilized as a natural host or can serve as an alternate host for many Catocala, butterfly, Saturniidae and/or Sphingidae species. The following species are listed by HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants.

Hesperiidae
Epargyreus clarus
Erynnis icelus
Erynnis zarucco

Pieridae
Colias philodice

Catocala
Catocala amestris
Catocala illecta
Catocala vidua

Saturniidae
Actias luna
Automerella flexuosa
Automeris annulata
Automeris banus
Automeris complicata
Automeris duchartrei
Automeris excreta
Automeris granulosa
Automeris hamata
Automeris harrisorum
Automeris incarnata
Automeris inornata
Automeris io
Automeris iris
Automeris jucunda
Automeris leucane
Automeris liberia
Automeris macphaili
Automeris maeonia
Automeris midea
Automeris moloneyi
Automeris montezuma
Automeris moresca
Automeris randa
Automeris styx
Automeris tridens
Automeris zozine
Cinabra hyperbius
Citioica anthonilis
Dirphia panamensis
Gynanisa maja
Hemileuca lex
Hemileuca rubridorsa
Hyalophora cecropia
Hylesia lineata
Hyperchiria nausica
Imbrasia ertli
Imbrasia oyemensis
Leucanella aspera
Leucanella leucane
Leucanella memusae
Lonomia cynira
Ludia delegorguei
Molippa nibasa
Molippa rosea
Molippa sabina
Paradirphia boudinoti
Paradirphia hoegei
Paradirphia lasiocampina
Paradirphia semirosea
Periphoba hircia
Pseudautomeris latus
Pseudodirphia eumedide
Pseudodirphia eumedidoides
Syssphinx albolineata
Syssphinx bicolor
Syssphinx bisecta
Syssphinx gomezi
Syssphinx hubbardi
Syssphinx molina
Syssphinx montana
Syssphinx petersii
Urota sinope

Sphingidae
Ceratomia amyntor

Robinia pseudoacacia is a medium sized tree, growing to a height of 70 feet, with a relatively straight trunk and a crown of crooked branches.

Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, with 7 to 19 leaflets, 8 to 14 inches long. The individual leaflets are oval, one inch long, green above and paler below.

The fruit is a flattened legume, light brown, 2 to 4 inches long; containing 4 to 8 kidney-shaped, smooth, red-brown seeds, which ripen in the fall.

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