When I see this I know that at least one caterpillar is going to pupate soon so I look to see who is wandering inside the sock. Michigan has four giant silk moth species with wingspans up to six inches across. The Eri Silkmoth, or Ricini Moth, more scientifically Samia cynthia ricini, is a subspecies of the Samia cynthia moth. In addition to Spicebush, the … Although native to China, the silkworm has been introduced throughout the world and has undergone complete domestication, … When I was a kid we had a maple tree, so I would gather fresh leaves every day and put them in the container with the caterpillar. Also known as the Spicebush Moth, the Promethea was used as a substitute for the Giant Silk Moth but was never commercially practical. I have raised these caterpillars from egg to adult, and of course had to see if they really sting. Female antennae are either a thin filament or feathery, depending on species. It is a beautiful big moth found in Asia. Giant silk moths, or saturniids (members of family Saturniidae), are medium to very large moths with stout, hairy bodies and feathery antennae. Giant Silk Moth … Silkworm moth, (Bombyx mori), lepidopteran whose caterpillar has been used in silk production (sericulture) for thousands of years. The caterpillars are really large and have beautiful white, yellowish or blueish colors. The Io Giant Silk Moth Caterpillar: Automeris io These caterpillars eat the leaves of roses and related plants, and often stay together in groups of a dozen or more. These moths also have stunning color patterns and classical names like cecropia, luna, promethea and polyphemus to match their physical beauty. A mature caterpillar ready to pupate (change from a larva into an adult insect) regurgitates any undigested food in its stomach and this will appear as a dark green stain on the inside of the caterpillar bag. Adult mouthparts are small or absent, so adults live only a few weeks without feeding. Ultimately, a single caterpillar remained, and it spun a cocoon. If you live in an area with plentiful trees, you may be able to identify a large, continuous source of food for your caterpillar. After a while she noticed that although food was not a limiting factor and escape was unlikely, the nose-count was decreasing, and in the absence of actual carcasses, she suspected that they were cannibalizing each other. Another occasionally abundant giant silk moth species is the striking great peacock moth (Saturnia pyri), which is widespread throughout central and southern Europe, extending to North Africa and westward to Asia, and is sometimes a minor orchard pest. Then I saw a giant silk moth and learned some of our native moths are as spectacular as any butterfly.