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Any tips for finding Giant silk moth cocoons?

button20
9 years ago

Hi everyone,

I am currently home (Zebulon, NC) for winter break from college. Yesterday I went outside and checked my river birch for Polyphemus cocoons. I think I was lucky, because I found 1 (a female) and put her in a mesh cage outside on the porch. I seem to always find Polyphemus cocoons hanging on Pin Oak and River Birch. I love the Polyphemus moths and all, but I would love to find other species of giant silk moths too, such as, Cecropias, Ios, Lunas, Prometheas, etc. I know Ios and Lunas are hard to find, but does anyone have any tips or ideas where I should search to find Cecropia and Promethea cocoons here in NC?

Comments (9)

  • KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
    9 years ago

    Interesting that you find polys more often than prometheas. I'm used to it being the opposite. For prometheas, you might try looking at spicebush and buttonbush. Their lack of height might help your hit rate. I know of a person who has great luck finding promethea cocoons and he recommends looking at cherries.

    Every cecropia I've found has been on a man-made structure with the cecropia choosing to build the cocoon in a protected area where a wall meets a ceiling.

  • button20
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    It's so bizarre because I will occasionally find the adult prometheas outside my house, but I can never find them as a cocoon in the wild. However, I will check the woods tomorrow or I guess later today. Here we have lots of wild black cherries, and not so many spice bushes and button bushes. But are wild black cherries a common host for prometheas? As for the cecropia moths, I guess I'll have to wait for another time for them. I live in the blatant country side and I don't think a cecropia caterpillar would craw miles just to spin a cocoon on my house lol. Thank you so much for your help though. It was and is very helpful!

  • KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
    9 years ago

    Wild black cherries are what this guy finds the most promethea cocoons on. That said, he is in Wisconsin and you are in NC. Moths are known to have regional differences when it comes to hostplant preferences.

    I use chokecherry for one of my promethea hostplants.

  • button20
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    That's true. I went outside earlier today and checked all the local wild black cherries around my house and couldn't find one, but I did find more Polyphemus cocoons. But they were empty. Well I will keep my eyes peeled for these little buggers. I hope I will have better luck tomorrow. In any case, thank you so so much. Your tips are very helpful. Happy Holidays!

  • KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
    9 years ago

    My wife and kids went out on a nature walk today. My son found two cecropia cocoons. Both were on the same tree. He said the tree was around 4' tall. I was quizzing him on whether it was a bush or tree and he says it was branched like a tree. He also found another cocoon he figures was a poly. My family was in one of the local metroparks so the cocoons stayed where they were found.

  • button20
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Sorry this is late, but I'm so happy your son was able to locate Cecropia cocoons. I hope some of that luck rubs off on me. But now I will resort to searching for cocoons on eye - level branches. Is there any chance your son knows if the tree was a fruit tree or not?

  • KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
    9 years ago

    No chance.

  • button20
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Haha ok!

  • KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
    9 years ago

    My wife and daughter were out in the neighborhood selling Girl Scout cookies. Found a cocoon on a tree but it was too high for them. I looked at it on Saturday. Poly but the moth had already eclosed.

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