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Cecropia Moth

Cecropia Moth line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Cecropia Moth full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Cecropia Moth was completed on 10.10.2011. I remember my brothers having found cocoons of these moths, bringing them home and hatching them in jars (I wouldn't do this now, but back then no one really considered the moth's survival unfortunately) I have only ever seen them rarely in the wild, but when I have it has been memorable. This marks the third, and perhaps final moth I will draw (unless you have a suggestion?) The drawing is based on a photo by David Britton, who has a very cool website about the lifecycles of moths and butterflies.

Information about the Cecropia Moth:

The Cecropia Moth is North America's largest moth. It is a member of the Saturniidae, which are the worlds largest moths. The range of this large flying insect is east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and southern Canada. They have a wingspan of 5-6 inches, although specimens with largest wingspans have been found. While the caterpillar stage of the moth is a voracious eater, feeding on the leaves of many different types of trees, the adult moth itself does not eat during it's lifetime. It survives only for a few weeks, and during that time it's only purpose is to mate. Like many other moths, the Cecropia Moth is mostly nocturnal and not active during the day, so it is not very often encountered by humans.