Subject: Moth
Location: Erie, PA
June 18, 2014 5:47 pm
I found this moth outside my home in Erie, PA and am not certain what kind of moth it is.
Signature: Lindsey
Dear Lindsey,
We wish we could have responded in a more timely manner, but we were out of the office for ten days and we are still trying to catch up on all the mail that arrived in our absence. This is a pair of Promethea Moths, Callosamia promethea, or another member of the genus. You can compare your image to this image on BugGuide. The lower moth in the image is the female, and she is filled with eggs. The male was attracted by her pheromones using his more feathered antennae to locate her. Promethea Moths, like other Giant Silkmoths in the family Saturniidae, do not eat as adults, living only long enough to mate and reproduce.
We suspect this gravid female Promethea Moth arrived first and the male was drawn to her.