Saturniidae of Manitoba


Antheraea polyphemus male, Killarney, Manitoba,
July 2, 2007, courtesy of Tari Conrad.

The following Saturniidae are found in Manitoba (stil has to be updated). They are grouped into respective subfamilies and tribes.

Clicking on a scientific name will take you to a page with pictures and information.

If you have additional information regarding flight times (listed below table) or additional species to add, please send email to oehlkew@islandtelecom.com

Visit North American Catocala (Underwing Moths) website.

Visit Manitoba Catocala (Underwing Moths) website.

Visit Sphingidae of the Americas (Hawk Moths/Sphinx Moths) website.

Visit Manitoba Sphingidae (Hawk Moths/Sphinx Moths) website.

Ceratocampinae

Anisota manitobensis
Anisota virginiensis


Hemileucinae

Automeris io io
Hemileuca nevadensis



Saturniinae: Attacini

Hyalophora cecropia
Hyalophora c. gloveri


Saturniinae: Saturniini

Actias luna
Antheraea polyphemus


Ceratocampinae

Anisota manitobensis. (wingspan: m: 39-41mm; f: 45-53mm), flies in the south central Manitoba; it may be just a clinal variation of Anisota stigma.

Female manitobensis have a pinkish cast on the forewing and males lack the hyaline area typical of most other Anisota. Neither male nor female manitobensis have the black spotting found on stigma.

Anisota virginiensis. (wingspan: m: mm; f: mm), flies in the southeastern Manitoba. The burgundy-maroon males have a large translucent/hyaline patch on the forewing outside the prominent white cell marking. They are not often photographed in the wild as they fly only during the day in response to calling females. In this image, the female is in the background. Females (below) are taken at lights.

Anisota virginiensis female. Pink-striped Oakworm Moth (m: 29-36mm; f: 43-51mm). Males (much different appearance) fly in morning; females at night. Females tend to be without dark spotting or with reduced spotting. All PEI female A. virginiensis show very clear "complexion" with stong contrast between fw purplish marginal area and orangey median area.

Hemileucinae

Automeris io io. (wingspan: m: 65mm; f: 90mm). Males are predominantly yellow with large eyepot and red hairs on hindwing. Females are considerably larger, with brownish forewing. Both sexes have a black postmedial band and a reddish subterminal band on the hindwing.

extreme southeastern Manitoba only

Hemileuca nevadensis. The (wingspan: m: 50-66mm; f: 55-70mm). Light coloured median area with yellow crescent cell mark, strongly surrounded in dark grey to black, make identification to species level easy. There may be subspecies and some variations, however, that make determinations more difficult. southern Manitoba.

Saturniinae: Attacini

Hyalophora cecropia male. Cecropia (m: 120-145mm; f: 130-150mm). Males and females both come to lights. There is considerable variation in the width of the red lines from specimen to specimen. Occasionally the forewing crescents are absent or greatly reduced. eastern half of Alberta

Hyalophora columbia male. Columbia (forewing length: m: 45-55mm; f: 46-55mm). Ground colour ranges from brown to almost maroon. Most specimens are primarily dark brown with some reddish-maroon highlights. The post median areas are dark grey, becoming much lighter, almost beige at the outer margins. Males are seldom seen at lights as they only fly at dawn. southern and eastern.

Hyalophora c. gloveri male. In Canadian Prairie provinces this is a reddish-brown species with maroon to burgundy highlights in basal and median areas. The post median area tends to be grey. The white cell markings are not elongated as most often occurs in the hindwings of euryalus. southern and western. Sometimes quite bright.

Saturniinae: Saturniini

Actias luna male. (wingspan approximately 115-125mm). This species is single brooded in Canada with moths on PEI on the wing from very late May until very early July. The outer margin is traced with either a thin line of maroon scaling or yellow scaling. The body sides may or may not have a line of pink scales. southern and western Manitoba

Antheraea polyphemus male. (wingspan approximately 125mm). Ground colour varies considerable from reddish brown to tan. Occasionally I see a melanic form with much grey scaling on the wings and sides of the body. Flies from very late May into early July. southern and western Manitoba

Actias luna: June, extreme northeast only

Antheraea polyphemus: June-July

Automeris io: June

Hyalophora cecropia: July

Hyalophora columbia columbia: may-June, southern and eastern

hyalophora columbia gloveri: May-June, southern and western

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