Florida Buck Moth
Common NameFlorida Buck Moth
Scientific NameHemileuca maia
FamilySaturniidae
SubfamilyHemileucinae
Wingspan (mm)75
Primary Colorsblack, white, orange, yellow
HabitatPine flatwoods, scrub, oak hammocks, open woodlands
Geographic RangeCentral and Southern Florida, USA
Host Plantsscrub oak, live oak, water oak
Flight PeriodOctober to December
Flight Styledarting
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Lifecycle NotesEggs are laid in rings on host plant twigs in late fall, overwinter, and hatch in spring. Larvae are spiny, gregarious, and feed on oak leaves before pupating in the soil. Adults emerge in the fall.
Identification TipsLook for its diurnal flight, dark wings with a single broad white band on the hindwing, a small yellow crescent mark, and a fuzzy white and orange thorax. Males have distinctive feathery antennae.
Description
A medium-sized, day-flying moth with dark, almost black wings, featuring a prominent white band across the hindwings and a small yellow crescent mark within the band. Its body is fuzzy with white and reddish-orange hairs.
