Hyalophora cecropia

The moth in the picture is Hyalophora cecropia and is a relatively common wild silk moth around hardwoods in many parts of North America. The wing coloration is really striking. Interestingly, many of the same colors seen in the wing are also present in the caterpillar.

There are several other species of Hyalophora that look quite similar; one in the Northwest eats conifers. Cecropia has been used for some years as a laboratory animal for studying hormone action on development. The caterpillars are easy to raise on wild cherry. The adults have a brief flight period around sunrise that lasts a couple of hours; primarily for mating and egg laying.

A recent and excellent book on wild silk moths is:

The Wild Silk Moths of North America P.M. Tuskes, J.P. Tuttle, M.M. Collins (1996) Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-3130-1