by Kristina Quapp
The Glover’s silkmoth belongs to the giant silk moth family, Saturniidae. These moths are quite large with a wingspan ranging from 80 to 100 mm, making it one of the largest moth species native to North America. It’s commonly found in the Rocky Mountain states, western parts of the northern Great Plains, and Canadian prairie provinces.
Glover’s silkmoth starts life as an egg for about one to two weeks. After hatching, the larva grows into a plump, yellow-green caterpillar, notable for its colourful red and yellow bumps that are tipped with small black spikes. In this stage, they can reach up to three to four inches in length. Their primary focus during these six to eight weeks of life is eating. These green critters must gather massive amounts of protein and energy to fuel their metamorphosis, often increasing their body mass thousands of times! Their primary diet includes trees and shrubs such as willows, chokecherry, silverberry, wild roses, and buffalo berry.
Once fully grown, the caterpillar spins a tight, silk cocoon on the twigs of its host plant. It remains in this stage for winter, and into the following spring, lasting about ten months in total. The Glover’s silkmoth will emerge in early to mid-summer. Unlike its caterpillar counterpart, once the moth metamorphosizes it does not eat. Nor does it have a functioning mouth! These adult silkmoths only live for one to two weeks, with their sole purpose being to find a mate and lay eggs. While the population status of this moth is stable, given its short lifespan they aren’t commonly seen. Though, spotting a moth is widely considered a sign of good luck and positive transformation! So, keep your eyes peeled as the warm weather begins to taper in and around Calgary.
