noun ( sometimes lowercase ) a large North American silkworm moth,
Hyalophora cecropia, the larvae of
which feed on the foliage of forest and other trees.
Also called Ce·cro·pi·a.
Origin:
1865–70, Americanism; < Neo-Latin Cecropia name of the genus, Latin: feminine of Cecropius pertaining to Cecrops, legendary ruler of Attica