Citheronia splendens

Citheronia splendens
Citheronia splendens male
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Saturniidae
Genus: Citheronia
Species: C. splendens
Binomial name
Citheronia splendens
(Druce, 1886)
Synonyms
  • Eacles splendens Druce, 1886

The splendid royal moth (Citheronia splendens) is a moth of the Saturniidae family. It is found from southern Arizona south into central and south-eastern Mexico.

Citheronia splendens sinaloensis

The wingspan is 106–150 millimetres (4.2–5.9 in). Adults are on wing from July to August.

Life cycle

Females lay eggs in groups of 1-4 on sides of a plants leaves. The caterpillars look like bird droppings and spend majority of their life cycle on leaves, by feeding on them in the evening. When the caterpillars mature they start feeding on them during the day as well by eating leaf petioles or stems. They burrow themselves underground as soon as September comes, where they enter into their pupa stage. When pupa stage is done, the species turn into larva, during which time they spend feeding on Gossypium thurberi, Rhus trilobata, Arctostaphylos pungens and Rhus choriophylla.[1]

Subspecies

References

External links


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