Saturniidae of Italy

This page is dedicated to Mario Ioppolo who has greatly assisted me with many images and much information. Mario confirms the species listed below in Italy. He also maintains a Lepidoptera Forum at http://www.ecosicilia.net/forum (English language is used).

Marco Uliana has also provided specific information.

Peninsular Italy is largely surrounded by the Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, Ionian and Adriatic Seas. The islands of Sardinia and Sicily extend into the Mediterranean Sea. To the North, Italy shares its border with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. Rome is its capitol. Italy has a combined land and water surface area of square kilometers.

Samia cynthia was introduced to Italy in 1856 for silk produstion, which proved nonprofitable from this species; the "butterfly" farms were abandoned. Cynthia remains in northern Italy, in the Po plain ( "Pianura Padana" on Italian maps), between the Alps and the Appennines, where it is locally common and feeds mainly on Ailanthus glandulosa. It is also taken in Pavia, Italy, with moths on the wing in April as first brood and then again in July.

Saturnia pavonia Manziana (Roma), Italy, April 1990

Saturnia pavonia Bosco di Foglino (Roma), Italy, March 2002

Saturnia pavonia larva, Tolfa (Viterbo), Italy, May 17, 2001

Saturnia pavoniella wild male responding to female pavonia, Etneo, Sicily, Italy, March 4, 2004, rejected by female.

Saturnia pyri Vivaro (Roma), Italy, May 1998

Saturnia pyri Manziana (Roma), Italy

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