This Cecropia Moth showed up two days ago. I found it early in the morning. It has remained in place since that time. Can anyone tell me if it is normal for the moth to remain in the same spot?
Cecropia Moth
As well as I can tell from your picture, it's a female, so maybe she's flying at night and laying eggs. Or maybe she "called" for a mate, and there were none around, so she's just waiting to die. :( Unfortunately, the big silkmoths are reported to only live about a week. Hopefully, if this is the case, she DID find a mate, she's ready laid her eggs, and there will be more of those beauties in your area.
I'm posting a picture of a male - you can see his BIG antennaes, the things that come out of his head. I can't see those big antennaes (or whatever the proper term for them is) on yours, which is why I think she's a female, but you can judge better than I can.
Sherry
I WANT ONE!!! ITS GORGEOUS!
I wondered if it was a female but wasn't sure about the "tells". I have been waiting to see if a male would appear. I guess I'll just keep watching. Thanks for the information!
The moth is still in place - but this I just noticed - it has the antennae you show in your pic, but one is broken, only partially there. Would that prevent if from flying?
In your last picture it would appear she is laying eggs? I am sure that isn't a host plant for them however.
How interesting. The moth did finally disappear a few days after the last picture. I saw this moth on the sidewalk in front of our back step and carefully moved it to the planter so it would not be stepped on. I don't know if it was in my backyard on its own or if it came along with some plants that I had received from a friend. Hard to say... What might be a host plant? I brought in some "Golden Glow," a type of Rudbekia.
Cecropia moths use a variety of trees as host plant - I've never heard of them using any type of low growing perennial/annual.
I think their favorite host plant is cherry, which in most cases is Prunus serotina, but they'll also use apple, ash, box elder, lilac, poplar, sassafras, willow, birch, elm, larch and maple, other than red maple, but not Acer rubrum.
Sherry
Well, I have a lot of some of those so who knows where it came from. It certainly was a fine surprise.