DISTRIBUTION:

The Mendocino saturnia moth, Saturnia mendocino (wing span: 2 7/16 - 3 1/8 inches (6.2 - 8 cm)), flies in chaparral plant communities and the dry edges of redwood forests in Monterey County, California, north through the Coast Range and from Tulare County on the western slopes of the California Sierra Nevada, north through the Cascade Mountains and into southern Oregon.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There is one brood from February-June. Caterpillars feed on Manzanita (Arctostaphylos) and madrone (Arbutus menziesii), both in the heath family (Ericaceae).

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Eclosions generally occur between 7:00 and 10:00 A.M.. Adults fly in the daytime at temperatures between 13 and 32 C. with a fast and erratic flight. Newly-emerged females (larger than males) fly only after they have mated, with scenting usually from 9:30-10:30 A.M.. The spot on tip of male forewing is smaller than the spot on female. The couple generally remains paired for a short duration of 20-90 minutes.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

Females lay oblong, white eggs singly or in bunches of 2-6 on the leaves of the host plants. Eggs hatch 1 to 7 weeks later depending upon temperature. Early instar larvae are black, marked with dull orange. A second instar larva is pictured to the right.

Third instar larvae assume various background colors: yellow, salmon, mauve, green, but always with a black saddle. There are only four instars and larvae have urticating spines. The saddle is lost in the final instar on Arctostaphylos glauca (manzita) depicted to the right. Loose mesh-like cocoons are attached to stems or branches of the host plants.

Listed below are primary food plant(s) 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.

Arbutus menziesii Arctostaphylos alpinus Arctostaphylos tomentosa..... Arctostaphylos glauca Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Ceanothus cuneatus Rhus integrifolia Rhus trilobata Rhus typhina

Pacific madrone Black bearberry Shaggy-barked manzanita Great-berried manzanita Kinnikinnick Wedgeleaf ceanothus Mahogany sumac Skunk-brush Staghorn sumac

CAL PHOTO

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