Bug FAQHubbard's Silk Moth
Syssphinx hubbardi · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Saturniidae
Also called: Hubbard's Small Silkmoth
The caterpillar reaches about 2.5 inches and has a distinctive violet line along its body. It is native to Mexico and the southern United States, where it feeds on mesquite, acacia and palo verde.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
A violet line runs along its body.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The caterpillar grows to about 2.5 inches long.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in Mexico and the southern United States, especially Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on mesquite, acacia and palo verde trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes Mexico and the southern United States, such as Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 5 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, California.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Saturniidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syssphinx_hubbardi
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.