Taxonomy: Family: Wild Silk Moths (Saturniidae)

Flight: One brood during the fall.

Wing Span: 2 to 3 inches; females larger than males.

Adult Food: Adults do not feed.

Caterpillar Food: Host Plants include Horsebrush (Tetradymia axillaris and T. glabrata), Fremont Dalea, and Desert Almond.

Larvae: Hatch during spring. Black in the first instar. Gregarious when young, but wander and become solitary as they age.

Habitat: Mojave Desert Scrub on alluvial fans and along washes.

Range: Mojave Desert of southern California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, and northwestern Arizona.

For More Information: See the Butterflies and Moths website.

Burn's Buckmoth (Hemileuca burnsi)

Tricolor Buckmoth (Hemileuca tricolor), caterpillar