New England Buckmoth
Common NameNew England Buckmoth
Scientific NameHemileuca lucina
FamilySaturniidae
SubfamilyHemileucinae
Wingspan (mm)55
Wing Patternstriped
Primary Colorsblack, white, orange
HabitatOpen woodlands, shrublands, bogs, fens, wet meadows
Geographic RangeNortheastern North America (New England states, parts of New York, southeastern Canada)
Host PlantsSpiraea, Potentilla, Rosa
Flight PeriodLate August to early October
Flight Styledarting
Conservation Statusvulnerable
Lifecycle NotesEggs are laid in masses on host plant stems in late fall, overwintering. Larvae hatch in spring, are gregarious and spiny, feeding on *Spiraea*, then pupate in soil or leaf litter, emerging as adults in late summer/early fall.
Identification TipsLook for the distinctive black and white banding on the wings, hairy black and white body with reddish-orange abdominal markings, and its diurnal flight in late summer/fall, often in areas with *Spiraea*.
Description
A medium-sized, day-flying moth with velvety black wings featuring a prominent white band across both forewings and hindwings. Its body is densely hairy, black and white, often with reddish-orange markings on the abdomen.
