Saturnia spini
([Denis & Schiffermuller], 1775) Bombyx pyri

Saturnia spini (male from France) courtesy of Leroy Simon.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Saturniinae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Tribe: Saturniini, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Genus: Saturnia, Schrank, 1802

DISTRIBUTION:

The Sloe Emperor Moth, Saturnia spini (wingspan 55--100mm, with females being the larger) ranges from eastern Austria and Poland across eastern and southeastern Europe to Greece;
Bulgaria; Macedonia (MJ);
Turkey;
Armenia, the Ukraine, Crimea and Kazakhstan where it favours sunny, dry, bush-strewn steppe or semi-steppe, but it can be found up to 1500m altitude in Turkey.

There is an old report of this species from the Altai Mountains, but this requires confirmation.

This is a nomadic species whose colonies may shift from year to year. It is also a member of the Pannonic steppe fauna which penetrates central Europe.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Depending on latitude and altitude, Spini is usually on the wing from April to June as a single generation.

In Europe, it is polyphagous on Prunus (P. spinosa), Rosa, Crataegus, Ulmus, Alnus, Salix, Populus and Malus; however, in Turkey and the Crimea it shows a distinct preference for spiny members of the Rosaceae.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females, whose antennae are much narrower than those of the males, extend a scent gland fromthe tip of the abdomen. Males fly into the wind and pick up the pheromone plume with their highly sensitive antennae. Photo (female) courtesy of Tony Pittaway.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE: Eggs (1.4 x 2.2mm) are oval and greyish-white with olive-brown gum. They are laid in neat clusters around peripheral twigs of the host, hatching ten to fourteen days later. As in S. pavonia, the newly-hatched, 2.5--3mm-long larvae consume part of their eggshells before clustering together. At this stage they are black and bristly. Unlike S. pavonia, the larvae do not change colour as they grow but remain black with some fine grey and blue markings. The button-like tubercles become reddish-orange. Saturnia spini Turkey, courtesy of Martin Jagelka. Saturnia spini Turkey, courtesy of Martin Jagelka. The larvae are gregarious right up until the final instar (65--80mm), and can be conspicuous on their shrubby hosts. Pupa (26mm) are dark brown to black, noticeably dorso-ventrally flattened, and 'comma'-shaped. They are formed in a coarse, thin-walled, pear-shaped, double, unsealed brown cocoon low down amongst the hostplant, often at ground-level. They are very tolerant of dry conditions, and may remain as a pupa for several years. PARASITOIDS: Tachinidae: Blepharipa pratensis, Exorista grandis, Masicera pavoniae. 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. Alnus glutinosa Cephalaria procera Crataegus oxyacantha....... Populus Prunus spinosa Pyrus malus Rosa Rubus Salix babylonica Ulmus campestris European/black alder Teasel English hawthorn Poplar Blackthorn/Sloe Apple Rose Bramble Weeping willow English elm This moth has also been classified as follows: media Esper, 1782. obsoleta Tutt, 1902. fusca Schultz, 1909. oblitescens Schultz, 1909. microphthalmica Schultz, 1909. subhyalina Schultz, 1909. contigua Schultz, 1909. continua Jordan, 1911. infumata Gschwandner, 1919. conjuncta Gschwandner, 1919. dilutibasis Gschwandner, 1919. albescens Gschwandner, 1919. lurida Gschwandner, 1923. Return to Main Saturniidae Index Return to Saturnia Genus