DISTRIBUTION:

The Emperor Moth, Saturnia pavonia (wingspan 55-75 mm), ranges throughout almost all of Europe, eastwards to the Amur River, (ranging from Ireland to western Siberia, and from northern Scandinavia and arctic Russia south to France, the Alps, Slovakia and the Caucasus) even at altitiudes of 2000m. There are records from China (Heilongjiang).

It has the distinction of being the only Saturniidae in the British Isles. In Europe it is still commonly refered to as Eudia pavonia. Kevin Phipps sends this image of Saturnia pavonia on a 1997 postage stamp from Guernsey, off the coast of Normandy, in the English Channel.

Saturnia pavonia male, April 23, 2007, Belarus, courtesy/copyright Anatolij Kulak.

Visit Saturnia pavonia male, female and larva, courtesy of Lery Simon.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

When spring is early, pavonia will sometimes be on the wing in March in warmer regions, but May throughout the summer is the usual flight time.

Males are diurnal and females are nocturnal.

Heather, heath, and hawthorn seem to be the preferred food plants in the western portions of pavonia's range with different plants being preferred in different areas. Favourites are species ofRubus, Prunus (P. spinosa), Crataegus, Quercus, Carpinus, Betula, Salix, Erica, Vaccinium, Spiraea, Filipendula, Lythrum, Potentilla, Rosa, Calluna, Hippophae etc.

Saturnia pavonia female, Belarus, April 2007, courtesy of Anatolij Kulak.

Visit Saturnia pavonia bilateral gynandromorph, courtesy of Dave Moore, via Dave Rolfe.

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. Saturnia pavonia male, courtesy of Mario Maier.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Grayish with olive-brown gum, medium-sized (1.4 x 2.2mm) eggs are deposited in neat rings on foodplant stems. Incubation lasts 10-14 days. Egg ring image courtesy of Johnny Marchant, April 2007.

When the black, spiny larvae (2-3 mm) first emerge, they devour a portion of their eggshells before clustering. There is an orange line down each side.

As the larvae progress they begin to live more individual lives and change colour from black to yellow.Tufts of black spines emanate from raised protuberances on the body. Photos of larvae are courtesy of Markku Savela.

In the final instar (60-75 mm) larvae are predominantly green but there can be varying degrees of black pigmentation with some larvae being almost completely black; others are almost completely green.

Sturdy, coarse, thin-walled, pear-shaped, double, unsealed brown valved cocoons are spun up among tree leaves. Pupae (20-25 mm) sometimes remain in diapause through two winters. The pupae are dark brown to black, noticeably dorso-ventrally flattened, and 'comma'-shaped.

Generally speaking, this is an easy moth to rear provided overcrowding is avoided.

PARASITOIDS:

Tachinidae: Compsilura concinnata, Exorista grandis, Masicera pavoniae, Phryxe nemea, Phryxe vulgaris, Rhacodinella apicata; Trichogrammatidae: Trichogramma teleng

Listed below are the primary food plant(s) and preferred and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae. 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

Tony Pittaway photo

Return to Main Saturniidae Index

Return to Saturnia Genus