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Species Eacles imperialis - Imperial Moth - Hodges#7704
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
No Taxon (Moths)
Superfamily Bombycoidea
Family Saturniidae (Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths)
Subfamily Ceratocampinae (Royal Moths)
Genus Eacles
Species imperialis (Imperial Moth - Hodges#7704)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes 12 synonyms listed at All-Leps: E. anchicayensis, approximans, cacicus, decoris, didyma, imperatoria, magnifica, opaca, oslari, punctatissima, quintanensis, tucumanaNumbers one of two species in this genus in North America listed at All-Leps
three subspecies listed at All-Leps: E. i. imperialis, nobilis, piniSize wingspan 80-174 mm; female larger than male
larva length to 100 mm Identification Adult: wings yellow, variably spotted and shaded with pinkish, orangish, or purplish-brown; male more heavily marked than female, especially in the south
[adapted from description by Charles Covell]
Pine Imperial Moth (subspecies E. i. pini) occurs from southern Quebec and northern Vermont to northern Michigan and western Ontario; the adult is smaller than nominate subspecies, with more pink spots on forewing, plus strong PM line on underside of hindwing, and the larva feeds only on pine - especially White Pine (Pinus strobus)
Texas Imperial Moth (subspecies E. i. nobilis) occurs in southeastern Texas; one-third of the adult population is completely shaded with pinkish-brown
[adapted from text by Charles Covell]
Larva: two variable color forms - green form varies from light green to dark green; brown form varies from orangish to chocolate brown to almost black; pair of spined dorsal tubercles on second and third thoracic segments, and sometimes first few abdominal segments; spiracles prominent, yellowish-white, ringed with black; many long whitish hairs dorsally, and shorter less dense ones laterally; short middorsal horn on ninth and tenth abdominal segments; prolegs larger on tenth segment than on other segments
[adapted from description by C.T. Maier et al] Range eastern United States plus Ontario and Quebec Habitat deciduous, mixed, and coniferous forests; adults are nocturnal and come to light Season adults fly from June to August in the north; April to September/October in southern United States
larvae from July to October Food Larvae feed on leaves of Bald Cypress, basswood, birch, cedar, elm, hickory, Honeylocust, maple, oak, pine, Sassafras ( Sassafras albidum), Sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua), sycamore, walnut.
Adults do not feed. Life Cycle Large yellow eggs are laid singly or in groups of 2-5 on both surfaces of host leaves, and take two weeks to hatch. Larvae are solitary feeders. Pupation occurs in underground burrows. Overwinters as a pupa in the soil. Adults emerge before sunrise and mate after midnight the next day. One generation per year in the north; one or two generations in the south. See Also adult of Western Imperial Moth or Oslar's Eacles ( Eacles oslari) can be either virtually identical or much darker (see 4 adult images by Bruce Walsh) but is found only in the extreme southwest beyond the range of E. imperialis (see distribution map) Print References Covell, p. 45, plate 1 #3, plate 9 #5 (1)
Internet References pinned adult and live larva image by Steve Smith, plus US distribution map, description, biology, flight season, foodplants, habitat (butterfliesandmoths.org)
11 photos of live adults and larvae (North Carolina State Park System)
live adult images of subspecies E. i. pini, plus description, foodplants, flight season (Lynn Scott, Ontario)
pinned adult images of subspecies E. i. pini showing color variation (CBIF)
38 pinned adult images plus collection site map (All-Leps)
adult images plus flight season (Larry Line, Maryland)
live larva image light green (Ronald Billings, Texas Forest Service, forestryimages.org)
live larva image dark green (Jerry Payne, USDA Agricultural Research Service, forestryimages.org)
live larva image chocolate brown color (Bastiaan Drees, Texas A&M U.)
live larva image orangish color (Dave Wagner, Discover Life, U. of Georgia)
live larva image almost black, plus description, foodplants, biology, and other info (C.T. Maier et al, USDA Forest Service, forestpests.org)
live larva image plus description, foodplants, seasonality, life cycle (David Wagner and Valerie Giles, Caterpillars of Eastern Forests, USGS)
larval foodplants plus distribution, description, biology, seasonality, and links to photos (L.L. Hyche, Auburn U. Alabama)
distribution in Canada Quebec and Ontario only (CBIF) Works Cited | 3. | Caterpillars of Eastern Forests
By David L. Wagner, Valerie Giles, Richard C. Reardon, Michael L. McManus | |
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