Citheronia regalis
is a giant silk
moth...though
these don't
actually produce
silk, which is why
it's better
to go by their
family name satu
(more)
Citheronia regalis is a giant silk moth...though these don't actually produce silk, which is why it's better to go by their family name saturniidae. Citheronia regalis actually digs into the ground to pupate instead of building a cocoon, so...no silk.
There are over 2400 species of saturniid moths and each of them have this same life cycle. They stuff themselves with food during their caterpillar stage and then use their adult, flying stage only as a way to find a mate for the next generation.
