Currently unavailable. Today's European and American wild cynthia are the descendents of adults originally taken from Asia and introduced with the intention of establishing silk industries in the various countries to which they were taken. The adult resembles a smaller version of the giant atlas moth and is a visual delight of olive brown, maueve and cream with a snake head pattern on the forewing. Unlike ricini, cynthia diapauses as a cocoon during the European and North American winters and is on the wing in June and July. Host foodplant is ailanthus, but larvae do very well on privet, sallow and have been reported on a variety of other trees.
Larval foodplant: privet (ligustrum), tree of heaven (ailanthus), sallow (salix).
Rearing: plastic boxes, cages and possibly sleeves in wamer weather.
Photographs: 5th instar larvae; 5th instar larvae; female adult moth; female adult moth.
