Sheep moth

Sheep moth
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Saturniidae
Genus:	Hemileuca
Species:	H. eglanterina
Binomial name
	Hemileuca eglanterina; Boisduval, 1852

Short description: Species of moth

The sheep moth, or common sheep moth (Hemileuca eglanterina), is a member of the family Saturniidae of silk moths and is native to western North America. In California, its range is west of the Sierran crest^[1] and the mountains of Southern California, ranging near to the coast.^[2] The moth is dayflying and appears in summer.^[1] It feeds on plants of three genera: Ceanothus, Rhamnus (including coffeeberry), and Rosa.^[1]^[2] Nuttall's sheep moth and one other species are similar, occurring in sagebrush areas east of the Sierra Nevada.^[1] The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1852.^[3]

The sheep moth has a 5.5-8.5 centimeter wingspan and a relatively slender body. Its forewings are pink with a yellow streak in the middle and the hindwings are yellowish with variable black markings. There is an all-black form near Mount Shasta.^[1] The larvae are black with branched yellowish spines that become orange in later development and an orange-brown head.^[1]