Citheronia regalis
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| Citheronia regalis (Fabricius, 1793) |
The Regal moth (Citheronia regalis), also called the Royal Walnut Moth, is a North American moth in the saturniidae family. The caterpillars are called Hickory Horned Devils. The adult (Imago) has a wingspan of 9.5-15.5 cm.
[edit] Life cycle
The life cycle of the moth is much like any other saturniidae species. It lays yellowish eggs about 2 mm in diameter either singly or in groups of up to four on the upper surface of the host plant leaves, which include:
- Hickories: Carya glabra, Carya illinoensis, Carya ovata
- Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis
- Filbert, Corylus
- Bush honeysuckle, Diervilla
- Persimmon, Diospyros virginiana
- Ash, Fraxinus
- Butternut, Juglans cinerea
- Black walnut, Juglans nigra
- English walnut, Juglans regia
- Privet, Ligustrum
among others.
When the eggs hatch 7-10 days later, small yellow larvae that darken rapidly emerge. The caterpillars are solitary nighttime feeders in early stages, when they curl up in a "j" shaped pattern during the day and resemble two-toned bird droppings. As the caterpillars age, they feed during the day. They molt 5 times. Each instar is different, but on their sixth and final instar they become a bright green color, with huge black-tipped red horns, earning them their common name "hickory horned devils". They feed heavily on their host plant and can grow up to 15cm long. They then crawl down the host plant, where they burrow into the dirt and pupate. The pupae are dark brown/black in color, and have a relatively short cremaster. When the moths eclose, they have to pump their wings with fluid (hemolymph) to extend them. The females emit pheromones, which the male can detect through its large, plumose antennae. Males can fly for miles in order to reach a female. After the moths mate, the female spends the majority of the remainder of her life laying eggs, while the male may mate several more times. Adults of this family of moths have vestigal mouths, meaning their mouthparts have been reduced. Because of this, they do not eat and only live for about a week as adults.
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