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Mila'sExotic Plants & CuriositiesA living collection by Luminary OdditiesLuminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Samia cynthia
Lepidoptera / Saturniidae
Olive-brown wings, pink transverse bands and golden-edged translucent crescents identify the ailanthus silkmoth. Its introduced populations are closely associated with tree-of-heaven.
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The moth was introduced from China to the eastern United States for silk production. North American records are scattered along the Atlantic seaboard and inland; urban and suburban populations occupy places where tree-of-heaven grows. [1]
Young caterpillars feed in close groups, whereas older larvae become solitary. The greyish cocoon is secured to a leaf’s petiole. In northern New Jersey, Hansen found cocoons in railway-side Ailanthus stands, attached by silk reinforced around the petiole and stem; some lay in the litter below. [1][3]
Larvae feed on Ailanthus altissima, the tree-of-heaven. Adults do not feed. [1]
Drury named cynthia in 1773 in the genus Phalaena. The name Philosamia cynthia also occurs in historical literature. [2]
Butterflies and Moths of North America · Accessed 2026-10-11
Peigler and Calhoun; Tropical Lepidoptera Research23(1),39–43(2013) · Accessed 2026-10-11
Tor Hansen; News of the Lepidopterists’ Society64(3),156–159(2022) · Accessed 2026-10-11
Sources checked 2026-10-11. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
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