Saturniidae of Germany

Reinhart Roehrig writes "Aglia tau is common in whole Germany. It lives in beech-woods (Fagus sylvatica L.) from end of March until End of May. In alpine regions it flies up to 1600 m (limit of beech-trees) until end of July."

A female Saturnia pavonia (Kleines Nachtpfauenauge) emerged from cocoon of reared larvae in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Oetisheim, Scharrkessel (8°49'E, 48°58'N, 320m), on April 20, 2000.

Of pavonia Reinhart writes, "Saturnia pavonia flies in whole Germany (unfortunately it is very rare in my region northeast of Cologne) from end of March until early June. In the Alps it flies up to 2000 m."

Saturnia pavoniella may be limited to southern Germany and probably flies from March-April.

Saturnia pyri is Wiener Nachtpfauenauge, Großes Nachtpfauenauge or Birnspinner, supposedly rare in southern Germany.

Of pyri, Reinhart writes, "It is not a species of Germany but it is reported by Schmidt-Koehl from the Mosel-Valley (Southwest of Cologne) between 1968 and 1970. It might have immigrated from near Alsace, France."

Bernhard Wenczel writes, "There is more chance to find this species near the southwest border with France and Switzerland, near the French Elsass and the Swiss district Basel where the environment is appropriate fro Saturnia pyri."

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