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Karlene-2

Karlene

Cecropia moths are both beautiful and amazing! This spring my Dad and I found this large (4 inch) cocoon on shrubs near the cottage on the North Shore of Lake Erie:

A large female (about 6 inches across) emerged on April 26th. She crawled up my arm and onto my head before flying off. I had to be careful not to touch her delicate wings:

The cecropia moth is North America's largest Moth. They have super senses – the female produces a chemical scent called a pheromone and the males use large feathery antennae to zero in on this scent from as far as 10 kilometers away. Now that’s amazing!

Cecropia moths have no mouthparts and do not feed. The adults’ sole purpose is to mate and lay eggs.

Caterpillars feed on the leaves of apple, ash, beech, birch, cherry, dogwood, maple, poplar and others.