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Index of Bugs
This insect belongs to the order Lepidoptera, which includes butterflies and moths. Lepidoptera means “wings with scales.” Regal moths belong to the Saturniidae family.
The Hickory Horned Devil is the larval stage of the Regal moth. These caterpillars measure about 12-14 cm in length, making them the largest caterpillars in North America. The moths are also quite large.
The caterpillar has five pairs of horn-like structures on its thorax and short spikes on the rest of its body. It may look ferocious, but it is harmless to people. The hickory horned devil uses these spikes to scare its predators away.
Hickory horned devil caterpillars live about 35 days, during the summer months, before they pupate. The larvae can be found eating leaves in trees such as ash, butternut, gum, hickory, lilac, sycamore, persimmon, sweet gum and walnut. The caterpillars eat a great deal of food during this stage in preparation for becoming pupae.
When the caterpillar is full-grown, it comes down from the tree and burrows in soft soil to form its pupa. The insect overwinters as a pupa.
When the moth ecloses from the pupa, the adult regal moth has a wingspan of 9-15 cm. The females are usually larger than the males. Both males and females have feathery antennae.
Regal moths do not have mouthparts. This moth has a short lifespan—just long enough to mate and to lay eggs. The regal moth is nocturnal, which means it is active at night. It usually lives in forest areas. Regal moths mate during the second evening after emergence. The females lay as many as 250 eggs at one time. The eggs will hatch in 6-10 days.
To learn more about Hickory horned devils and Regal moths and to see them in action, order the Backyard Bugs DVD.
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