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Sheep moth
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Saturniidae
Genus:	Hemileuca
Species:	H. eglanterina
Binomial name
	Hemileuca eglanterina; Boisduval, 1852

The sheep moth, or common sheep moth (Hemileuca eglanterina), is a member of the family Saturniidae of silk moths and is native to western North America. In California, its range is west of the Sierran crest^[1] and the mountains of Southern California, ranging near to the coast.^[2] The moth is dayflying and appears in summer.^[1] It feeds on plants of three genera: Ceanothus, Rhamnus (including coffeeberry), and Rosa.^[1]^[2] Nuttall's sheep moth and one other species are similar, occurring in sagebrush areas east of the Sierra Nevada.^[1] The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1852.^[3]

The sheep moth has a 5.5-8.5 centimeter wingspan and a relatively slender body. Its forewings are pink with a yellow streak in the middle and the hindwings are yellowish with variable black markings. There is an all-black form near Mount Shasta.^[1] The larvae are black with branched yellowish spines that become orange in later development and an orange-brown head.^[1]

Gallery

Adult on flower
Adult laying eggs
Caterpillar larva on bitterbrush.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Jerry A. Powell, Charles L. Hogue (1981). California Insects. University of California Press. p. 230. ISBN 9780520037823.
^ ^a ^b Michael L. Charters (May 18, 2009). "Common sheep moth". Butterflies and Moths of Southern California. Sierra Madre, California. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
^ Savela, Markku. "Hemileuca eglanterina (Boisduval, 1852)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved November 9, 2018.