The Largest Moth In North America: Strikingly Beautiful Cecropia Moth

Larvae feed on more than 20 species of Missouri trees and shrubs, notably various maples (including box elder), willows, cherries, plums, apples, dogwoods, and lilacs. As with other giant silk moths, the mouthparts of the adults are small or absent; the adults live for only a few weeks without feeding, relying on food consumed and stored when they were caterpillars.