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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Saturniidae
890040.00 – 7730   Hemileuca maia (Drury, 1773)
             Buck Moth
Distribution Data for Hemileuca maia
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  • Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.)
Synonymy: Phalaena maia Drury, 1773
Hemileuca lintneri Cockerell, 1914
Bombyx proserpina Fabricius, 1775
Hemileuca maia maia Drury, 1773
Hemileuca maia sandra Pavulaan, 2020
Hemileuca maia warreni Pavulaan, 2020
Hemileuca maia orleans Pavulaan, 2020
Hemileuca maia menyanthevora Pavulaan, 2020
Hemileuca iroquois Cryan & Dirig, 2020, “hemispecies”
Taxonomic Notes: Hemileuca maia (Drury, 1773) is treated as a species complex composed of several subspecies in Pavulaan (2020). The nominate subspecies, H. m. maia, "Coastal Barrens Buckmoth", is confined to eastern MA, RI and Long Island, NY.
References
  • Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Some specimens shown may not be sequenced. DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness not proof of identification.
  • Cryan, J. F. & R. Dirig, 2020. Moths of the past: Eastern North American buck moths (Hemileuca, Saturniidae), with notes on their origin, evolution, and biogeography. Pine Bush Historic Preservation Project Occasional Publication, 2: 44.
  • Ferguson, D. C., 1971. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 20.2a: p. 115; pl. 8.6-8. order or free PDF
  • Hall et al., 2021. The Moths of North Carolina - website (identification, habitats and life history)
  • Pavulaan, H., 2020. A phenotypic comparison of regional populations of Hemileuca maia (Drury, 1773) with designations of new subspecies (Bombycoidea, Saturniidae, Hemileucinae). Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey, 8(5): 1-16.
  • Species Page at BugGuide.Net
  • Species Page at Mass Moths
Hemileuca maia
© Ronnie Gaubert
Hemileuca maia
© Howell Curtis
Hemileuca maia
© Howell Curtis
Hemileuca maia
© Howell Curtis
Hemileuca maia
© Aaron Brees
Hemileuca maia
© Aaron Brees
Hemileuca maia
60mm – © Jim Vargo
Hemileuca maia
© Jerry Armstrong LG

Hemileuca maia
© Jerry Armstrong LG

Hemileuca maia
© Lee Ruth

Hemileuca maia
© Lee Ruth

Hemileuca maia
© Lee Ruth

Hemileuca maia
© Howell Curtis

Hemileuca maia
© Tom Murray

Hemileuca maia
© Tom Murray
1st instar
Hemileuca maia
© Tom Murray

Hemileuca maia
© Tom Murray

Hemileuca maia
© Aaron Brees LG
on Redroot (Ceanothus herbaceus)
Hemileuca maia
© Aaron Brees LG


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