Biology and Management of the Buck Moth, Hemileuca maia (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

The genus Hemileuca Walker (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) is widespread across North America, with about 20 species, including the buck moth, Hemileuca maia (Drury). This species is important as a periodic defoliator in oak forests of the eastern United States but is not considered to be destructive to forest resources. Buck moth populations are regulated naturally by environmental factors, particularly foliage quality, predators, parasitoids, and pathogens. The buck moth has become a species of conservation concern in northern states, where it is threatened by habitat loss, fire suppression and other anthropogenic changes in habitat conditions, and perhaps by parasitoids introduced to control invasive Lepidoptera. In the South, the buck moth caterpillars attract attention because the urticating spines of its larvae cause painful stings that often require first-aid advice. Although considered a nuisance in urban areas, this insect generally is not sufficiently abundant to warrant specific control measures. If control is warranted, several biological and insecticidal options are available.