Juvenile-hormone
Guides
Hyalophora cecropia
Cecropia moth, Cecropia silkmoth, Robin moth
Hyalophora cecropia, the cecropia moth, is North America's largest native moth, with females documented at wingspans of 130-180 mm (5-7 inches). A member of the Saturniidae family (giant silk moths), this univoltine species produces one generation per year. Adults lack functional mouthparts and survive approximately two weeks solely on stored fat reserves. The species has declined in parts of New England due to parasitism by the introduced tachinid fly Compsilura concinnata, which was originally brought to North America for gypsy moth control.
Pityokteines
fir engraver beetles
Pityokteines is a genus of bark beetles (Scolytinae) known as fir engraver beetles. Species in this genus are significant pests of fir trees (Abies) and other conifers in the subfamily Abietoideae. Males initiate gallery construction and produce aggregation pheromones that regulate mass attack on host trees. The genus exhibits species-specific pheromone communication systems involving ipsenol and ipsdienol, which contribute to reproductive isolation among sympatric species.
Sehirus cinctus
white-margined burrower bug, white-margined burrowing bug
Sehirus cinctus is a true bug in the family Cydnidae known for its unusual subsocial behavior. Females deposit 120–150 eggs in shallow burrows and guard them until hatching. After emergence, mothers provision nymphs with food for 1–3 days before the young disperse to forage independently. This species has been documented feeding on plants in the Urticaceae (nettle) and Lamiaceae (mint) families, and has been observed associating with honey bees.