Promethea Silkmoth
Family Saturniidae, Subfamily:  Saturniinae
Callosamia promethea
Eclosure

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Eclosure

#2 - 8:30 A.M.
eclosure


8:38 A.M.
8:38


8:39 A.M.
8:39


8:41 A.M.
8:41


8:44 A.M.
male


8:50 A.M.
male


9:09 A.M.
9:09 A.M.

9:09 A.M.
eclosure


9:15 A.M.
male


9:19 A.M.
9:19 A.M.


#1 just after Eclosure
#1


Underside of wings

underside


Close-up of  wingspots

wingspot


Close-up of  wingspots
wingspot


Close-up of Antennae
antennae


antennae

Photo Details
Kevin Collison from Osceola, Polk County, Wisconsin (elevation 825 feet) reared some promethea in 2012 and when the females emerged in 2013 he mated the females with wild caught males.  A  female o
viposited 20th June 2013. They should hatch in seven to 10 days.  10 to 14 days per "Butterflies and Moths of North America"

They emerged beginning at about 7A.M. 1 July 2013 and finishing that evening (eleven days at about 78 F.) . 100 percent hatch rate. After emerging they all went to the underside of the leaf. 5 mm Long  The three that first emerged hadn't started to eat after two hours so the tip of the leaf was cut so they could better smell the chokecherry and recognize it as a host plant.  After another hour they had eaten a notch out of the bottom of the leaf and continued feeding on the chokecherry.

Molted to Second Instars  6 July 2013 - 8 mm long
Molted to Third Instars  10 July 2013. On 11 July  they were 20 mm long
Molted to Fourth Instars  14-16 July 2013
Molted to Fifth Instars  18-20 July 2013
Began spinning cocoons 22 July 2013
Pupa was formed before 5 August 2013 on this one that started spinning  the cocoon on  22 July 2013. I cut this one out in order to photograph it. It was returned to the cocoon and wrapped in  some paper towel to hibernate.
These were placed in the crisper of a fridge on 29 September, 2013.  Temperature of about 41 F.

Pupae taken out of refrigerator took about a month to emerge.

Host Plant

Black Chokecherry - Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa


Range
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