CALLOSAMIA ANGULIFERA (WALKER, 1855)

Female Callosamia angulifera on Tulip tree. Image composited by Bill Oehlke

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TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Saturniinae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Tribe: Attacini Genus: Callosamia, Packard, 1864

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DISTRIBUTON:

The Tulip Tree Moth, Callosamia angulifera, (Wing span: 3 1/8 - 4 5/16 inches (8 - 11 cm) ranges in deciduous woodlands from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut west through central New York, southern Ontario, and southern Michigan to central Illinois; south to the Florida panhandle and Mississippi wherever Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip tree) is present.

Both males and females come in to lights in Pottersville, New Jersey.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There is one brood of Callosamia angulifera from June-August in the north, and there are two broods from March-April and in August in the south with the summer brood being darker than the spring brood. Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip tree or White or Yellow poplar) is the preferred and possibly only natural foodplant of larvae. Both sexes are readily taken at lights.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Mating occurs between dusk and midnight, with most activity around 10 PM. The couple usually only stays paired for a few hours. The male's upperside is brown with angular white cell spots on all wings and much contrast between the basal and outer portions of the wings.

Male Callosamia angulifera

The underside has a very light pink band to the outside of the postmedian line.

The female's upperside is yellowish brown; angular white cell spots are largest on the forewings. The underside of the hindwing has mahogany red at its darkest part. Both sexes of the summer brood are darker.

OVA, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

Females lay eggs at dusk the following evening, in rows of four to ten on tulip trees . Eggs hatch in one week and the young caterpillars feed in groups. Older caterpillars are solitary and do not eat the main vein of the leaf. This species is subject to disease and definitely should not be overcrowded; just a few larvae per sleeve is best. Dark brown cocoons are spun in a curled leaf which falls to the ground. Searching for cocoons on the ground under Tulip trees is sometimes productive.

Photo courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Listed below are the primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae. It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Liriodendron tulipifera.... Magnolia tripetala Prunus serotina Sassafras albidum

Tulip tree Umbrella magnolia Wild black cherry Sassafras

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AFRICAN SATURNIIDAE Silkmoths
ARCTIIDAE Arctiids or Tiger Moths
ASIAN SATURNIIDAE
AUSTRALIAN SATURNIIDAE
CERATOCAMPINAE Regal Moths
EUROPEAN SATURNIIDAE
MEXICAN SATURNIIDAE
NORTH AMERICAN SATURNIIDAE
SOUTH/CENTRAL AMERICAN SATURNIIDAE
SATURNIIDAE OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND: rearing info.
SPHINGIDAE OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Hawkmoths
BUTTERFLIES OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

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Google lists at least one site for each of the following Saturniidae genera: Actias, Adelocephala, Adeloneivaia, Adelowalkeria, Adetomeris, Agapema, Aglia, Anisota, Antheraea, Antherina, Antistathmoptera, Archaeoattacus, Argema, Arsenura, Athletes (need species), Attacus, Aurivillius, Automerella, Automerina, Automeris, Bunaea, Bunaeopsis, Caio (need species), Caligula (need species), Callosamia, Catocephala, Cinabra, Cirina (need species), Citheronia, Citioica, Coloradia, Copaxa, Copiopteryx, Coscinocera, Cricula, Decachorda, Dirphia, Dirphiopsis, Dryocampa, Dysdaemonia, Eacles, Eochroa, Epiphora, Eriogyna, Eubergia, Eudyaria, Eupackardia, Eustera, Gamelia, Gonimbrasia, Goodia, Graellsia, Gynanisa, Heliconisa, Hemileuca, Heniocha, Holocerina, Homoeopteryx, Hyalophora, Hylesia, Hyperchiria, Imbrasia, Ithomisa, Lemaireia, Leucanella, Lobobunaea, Loepa, Lonomia, Ludia, Melanocera, Micragone, Molippa, Neoris, Nudaurelia, Oiticella, Opodiphthera, Ormiscodes, Orthogonioptilium, Othorene, Paradirphia, Perisomena, Periphoba, Polythysana, Procitheronia, Pselaphelia, Pseudaphelia, Pseudantheraea, Pseudautomeris, Pseudimbrasia, Pseudobunaea, Pseudodirphia, Psilopygida, Ptiloscola, Rhescynthis, Rhodinia, Rohaniella, Rothschildia, Salassa (need species: lola), Samia, Saturnia, Schausiella, Syssphinx, Tagoropsis, Titaea, Urota, Usta (need species:terpsichore), Vegetia.