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Photo#533147
Pine Imperial Moth Caterpillar - Eacles imperialis
Copyright © 2011 Ilze V-G.

Pine Imperial Moth Caterpillar - Eacles imperialis

City of Greater Sudbury, Fairbank Lake, Ontario, Canada
August 17, 2010
Size: approx 8 cm
Is this a Moths » Bombycoidea » Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths (Saturniidae) » Royal Moths (Ceratocampinae) » Eacles » Imperial Moth - Hodges#7704 (Eacles imperialis)? Last August it just dropped out of a pine tree and rolled to my feet. I had never seen this caterpillar before! Really big, must have been almost ready to cocoon? I noticed in your guide that they are variously coloured, red, green, black...this one is muddy with a green underside...do they change colour as they grow? The large, brown mottled, yellow moth I have seen in previous years!
I have looked at the guide some more and could this be narrowed further to be the »Pine Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis pini)?

Images of this individual: tag all
Pine Imperial Moth Caterpillar - Eacles imperialis Pine Imperial Moth - Eacles imperialis Pine Imperial Moth - Eacles imperialis Pine Imperial Moth Caterpillar - Eacles imperialis
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Contributed by Ilze V-G. on 22 June, 2011 - 10:46am
Last updated 28 June, 2020 - 9:24am

Comments

Vulnerable (2020) in
Ontario.
… Ilze V-G., 28 August, 2020 - 8:31am login or register to post comments

I should have caught that the first time round
ssp. pini also tends to have larvae with larger tubercles ("scoli").

Moved from Imperial Moth.
… David J. Ferguson, 22 June, 2011 - 4:38pm login or register to post comments

mmm - first move didn't take
Moved from ID Request.
… David J. Ferguson, 22 June, 2011 - 12:09pm login or register to post comments

You have it identified correctly.
And, indeed it might be fully mature and ready to make a cocoon. However, generally after the last molt most of the tubercles are smaller than this and the hairs less noticeable; so, it could be that this one is not quite fully grown yet. On the flip side, they do tend to get something of a glassy translucent look like this right before they pupate, and also sometimes when they are diseased.

Moved from ID Request.
… David J. Ferguson, 22 June, 2011 - 12:03pm login or register to post comments

 
Pine
This is certainly subspecies pini.
… Ryan St Laurent, 22 June, 2011 - 4:17pm login or register to post comments

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