Cynthia x Ricini Moth

Although the adult moths look quite different, the Ricini and Cynthia moths have a number of common characteristics. Among them are their larva's fondness of Ailanthus and that they are easy to raise in captivity. Moth enthusiasts have therefore taken to crossing these species.

Click on any of the thumbnails to get a larger picture.

	These are first instar cynthia x ricini feeding on Ailanthus. As with the Cynthia and Ricini, early instars are very gregarious, often feeding close together.
	These are second instar cynthia x ricini.
	Most of the caterpillars in this picture are Cynthia. They are the ones with a bluish coloring. The white caterpillars are the cynthia x ricini.
	These are Cynthia x Ricini cocoons. Note how many of them used leaves to construct the cocoons. The cocoons are quite small and very compact, leaving very little room between the pupa and cocoon casing. Note also that there are a number of colors, ranging from the white, indicative of the Ricini, to the brown, more indicative of the Cynthia.
	These are some of the 11 moths that emerged within 48 hours of each other. This kind of timing is typical of the ricini species. Within that time period we also had 4 pairings, and another in the next day. The adult moths are about the size of a Luna without the tails. Mostly brown, with some nice pink-violet colored bands in the wings.

Address questions or comments to: Scott Henninger, scotth#cse.unl.edu (to prevent automated SPAM systems, I have replaced the normal '@' symbol - just put it back in to send a message)