DISTRIBUTON:

Saturnia pavonia meridionalis flies in Macedonia.

I note, October 15, 2012, according to Tony Pittaway, that Saturnia pavonia ligurica and Saturnia pavonia meridionalis are both now treated as variants of Saturnia pavoniella.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

When spring is early, pavonia meridionalis will be on the wing from late February to March.

Males are diurnal and females are nocturnal.

ECLOSION, SCENTING, AND MATING:

Females emerge in the morning and extend a scent gland from the base of the abdomen to "call" in the more colorful males. Females continue scenting until near noon or until mating.

Many breeders are able to locate females by following the day-flying males to the source of attraction.

Females remain coupled with males until nightfall when they seperate, begin flight, and deposit their eggs.

Female Saturnia pavonia meridionalis, Viktor Suter, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

Grayish, medium-sized (1.4 x 2.2mm) eggs with olive-brown gum are deposited in neat clusters on the undersides of foodplant leaves or in rings of host plant twigs.

Incubation lasts 10-14 days.

When the black, spiny larvae (2-3 mm) first emerge, they devour a portion of their eggshells before clustering.

As the larvae progress they begin to live more individual lives and change colour from black to green with yellow tubercles, eventually changing to purple.

Tufts of black spines emanate from raised protuberances on the body.

Larvae progress through six instars.

Sturdy, coarse, thin-walled, pear-shaped, double, unsealed brown valved cocoons are spun up among tree leaves.

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Larval Food Plants

Alnus Arbutus unedo Betula Calluna vulgaris Cornus Crataegus Erica Fagus Fragaria Fraxinus Hippophae rhamnoides Humulus Juglans Lythrum salicaria Myrica gale Pistacia terebinthus Potentilla Prunus domestica Prunus serotina Prunus spinosa Prunus virginiana Pyrus communis Pyrus malus Quercus Rosa Rubus idaeus Rumex Salix babylonica Sambucus Schinus terebinthifolius Sorbus Spiraea alba Ulmus Vaccinium myrtillus

Alder Strawberry madrone Birch Scottish heathers Dogwood Hawthorn Heath beech Strawberry Ash Sallow thorn Hops Walnut Loosestrife Sweetgale Cyprus/Terpentine Cinquefoil Garden plum Wild black cherry Blackthorn Choke cherry Pear Apple Oak Rose Wild red raspberry Sorrel weeping willow Elderberry Brazil peppertree Mountain ash Meadow spiraea Elm Thinleaf huckleberry

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