Bug FAQSweetbay Silkmoth
Callosamia securifera · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Saturniidae
Male Sweetbay Silkmoths have dark maroon wings while females have brown-pink wings, and every adult shows a distinctive “7” mark with eyespots, lavender patches and buff-colored borders. Adults live about two weeks, enough time to mate in the afternoon and lay eggs, and the larvae feed on Magnolia virginiana.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males have dark maroonish wings and females have brownish-pinkish wings. All individuals display a “7” mark on the wings together with eyespots, lavender patches and buff-patterned borders.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Like other Callosamia species, the caterpillar builds a hanging cocoon with attached leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It is named for its host tree, the sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults live about two weeks, which is enough time to mate and lay eggs.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
These moths are active during the day and mate in the afternoon.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 11 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland.
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
Questions people ask
How can I tell male and female Sweetbay Silkmoths apart?
Males have dark maroon wings while females have brown-pink wings.
Source: Wikipedia
What distinctive marking do Sweetbay Silkmoths have?
All adults show a “7” shaped mark together with eyespots, lavender patches and buff-colored borders on their wings.
Source: Wikipedia
When do Sweetbay Silkmoths mate?
They are diurnal and their mating period occurs in the afternoon.
Source: Wikipedia
What does the Sweetbay Silkmoth caterpillar’s cocoon look like?
The caterpillar spins a hanging cocoon that incorporates leaves attached to it.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Saturniidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetbay_silkmoth
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.