Moths of Pennsylvania

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Moths of Pennsylvania

How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number living things both large and small.
Psalm 104:24-25

To kick off the 2009 mothing season, we have a beautiful Cecropia Moth, or Hylaphora cecropia. This moth was freshly hatched on Monday, April 27 in the second grade classroom at Rhema Christian School. The students found the moth's caterpillar last fall and were kind enough to allow their moth to be photographed and used on this site.

The Cecropia is the largest moth in North America, with a wingspan of 5-6 inches. It is easily distinguishable from all other moths that may be encountered in our area. Adults, as with all other silk moths, don't feed. The caterpillars feed on a variety of trees, including maples, oaks, poplars, and more.

Found a moth that you can't identify? Have any other mothing questions? Want to make a suggestion for the site? Just send an email to Ben.Woodard@yahoo.com or daschrode18@yahoo.com.

Cecropia Moth (Hylaphora cecropia)

To view previous articles and blogs click here

5/20/10

Unfortunately, the 2009 mothing season was a disappointment for us, as any consistent viewers could most likely tell from the absence of new posts. It is our hope that 2010 will be a much better summer, and there is the possibility of kicking things off this coming weekend. We will be adding a new feature moth as soon as we can.

Until then, enjoy the archives, and explore the site for tips on beginning your own foray into the world of moths!

-Adam and Ben

All photos on this site are the property of Adam Schroeder and Ben Woodard, unless otherwise specified.