A Picture of a Cecropia Moth

Cecropia Moth Facts

  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Order: Lepidoptera
  • Family: Saturniidae
  • Genus: Hyalophora
  • Species: Hyalophora cecropia

14 Cecropia Moth Facts for Kids

  1. The cecropia moth is a silk moth that is a member of the genus Hyalophora.
  2. The binomial name for the cecropia moth is Hyalophora cecropia.
  3. The cecropia moth was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
  4. The cecropia moth is the largest native moth in North America.
  5. The cecropia moth is a herbivore and are commonly found on maple trees.
  6. An adult cecropia moth doesn’t have a mouth, therefore it doesn’t eat during its adult stage.
  7. The cecropia moth has four stages in its life cycle. They are an egg, larva, pupa and adult.
  8. As a larva, this moth will go through five stages of instar (development).
  9. The cecropia moth, from egg to an adult, has a lifespan of about one year.
  10. A newly hatched cecropia caterpillar (larva) is usually about 0.25 inches in length.
  11. A mature cecropia caterpillar (larva) has an average length between 4 and 4.5 inches.
  12. An adult cecropia moth has a wingspan between 5 and 7 inches.
  13. Male cecropia moths can locate a female by the pheromones they emit up to a mile away.
  14. A female cecropia moth can lay up to 100 eggs after mating.

Additional Resources with Cecropia Moth Facts