Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFSaturniidae Members:
Callosamia Members:
344 NC Records

Callosamia angulifera (Walker, 1855) - Tulip-tree Silkmoth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Bombycoidea Family: SaturniidaeSubfamily: SaturniinaeTribe: AttaciniP3 Number: 890080.00 MONA Number: 7765.00
Comments: One of three Callosamia species in North Carolina, all of which overlap in range in the Coastal Plain
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923), Ferguson (1972), Tuskes et al. (1996)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1923), Ferguson (1972), Tuskes et al. (1996), Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Sexually dimorphic, with both males and females similar in wing pattern and coloration those of the other two species of Callosamia. Female angulifera usually have an orange-brown ground color, always showing at least some degree of yellowish shading, particularly along the inner margin and basal area. Female promethea do not show any yellow shading and are either darker umber or a brighter cherry-red. Female securifera are more yellow than orange and differ in the degree of contrast along the post median line on the underside of the hindwing (see description of securifera). The discal spots of both male and female angulifera also tend to be larger than in the other two species. The males of all three species are a dark umber brown in the basal and medial areas of both wings but differ in amount lighter shading along the post median line and in the submarginal area. Angulifera males are less darkly marked than in promethea (see description of that species) but are more difficult to distinguish from securifera. As with the females, the most reliable feature is the brightness of the pale line that borders the post median (which is black) on the undersurface of the hindwing; this line is a much brighter white in angulifera. In the Coastal Plain, good photographs or specimens are needed to confirm records for adults.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae of all three Callosamia species are similar, differing only in minor details. Older instar larvae have a yellowish lateral stripe located below the spiracles that is missing in promethea but present in securifera; promethea larvae also possess pale rings around their black abdominal spots that are missing in the other two (see Forbes, 1923 and Wagner, 2005). Determining the host plant is the easiest means of separating angulifera from securifera.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: State-wide in occurrence but probably more continuously distributed in the Piedmont and Lower Mountains than in Coastal Plain or High Mountains
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

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