Imperial moth
Eacles imperialis (Drury, 1773)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Ceratocampinae
Identification: Females are larger than males. Upperside is yellow with pinkish brown to purple-brown patches, bands, and cell spots, and tiny brown spots scattered overall. Males have larger patches on the forewings than females, except for some subspecies pini males which have reduced purple and are mostly yellow.
Wing Span: 3 1/8 - 6 7/8 inches (8 - 17.4 cm).
Life History: Adults emerge before sunrise and mate after midnight the next day. Females lay eggs at dusk singly or in groups of 2-5 on both surfaces of host plant leaves. The eggs hatch in about 2 weeks, and the caterpillars are solitary feeders. Pupation takes place in underground burrows.
Flight: One brood; in the north from June-August, in the south from April-October.
Caterpillar Hosts: Conifers and deciduous trees and shrubs including pine (Pinus), oak (Quercus), box elder (Acer negundo), maples (Acer), sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and sassafras (Sassafras albidum). Confirmed feeding on Norway spruce (see record 738773). Subspecies pini feeds only on conifers.
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Deciduous and evergreen forests.
Range: Maine west to eastern Nebraska, south to the Florida Keys and central Texas. Subspecies pini occurs across the northern Great Lakes basin and the northern third of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 2693 verified sightings
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Observation date: Jul 28, 2023
Submitted by: Leslie Warren
Region: Mahoning County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 29, 2023
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Observation date: Jul 26, 2023
Submitted by: grosenberry
Region: Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_20230726_024814.jpg?itok=H6jUYFdG)
Observation date: Jul 26, 2023
Submitted by: Kifallang
Region: Preble County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 26, 2023
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Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: Shane Miller
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 25, 2023
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Observation date: Jul 23, 2023
Submitted by: Lesley59
Region: Johnson County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
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Observation date: Jul 21, 2023
Submitted by: Thegiz18
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
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Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: HCGregory
Region: Albemarle County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/imperial_6.jpg?itok=Ll05XMTz)
Observation date: Jul 19, 2023
Submitted by: Mary June
Region: Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 19, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/imperial_moth_ryerson_conservation_area_7-15-23.jpg?itok=RdxhuTLh)
Observation date: Jul 15, 2023
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 17, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 19, 2023
Submitted by: Mikelchap
Region: Glynn County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 29, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/eaclesimperialis_72822.jpg?itok=uJNdaVU9)
Observation date: Jul 28, 2022
Submitted by: Emily Newman
Region: Carter County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 10, 2023
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Observation date: May 19, 2023
Submitted by: ktew
Region: Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 19, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/eaim_8801.jpeg?itok=cqfC7nc_)
Observation date: Aug 01, 2020
Submitted by: lizmcd
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 17, 2023
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Observation date: Dec 14, 2016
Submitted by: dhccrc
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
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Observation date: Sep 29, 2016
Submitted by: atteberry
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
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Observation date: Sep 21, 2016
Submitted by: Jinchuurikage
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_0006_28.jpg?itok=Jp9ezF0_)
Observation date: Aug 07, 2016
Submitted by: missrla
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
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Observation date: Aug 05, 2016
Submitted by: Tenderglobe5
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
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Observation date: Jul 14, 2016
Submitted by: ArthurOgawa
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 27, 2023
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Observation date: Jul 12, 2016
Submitted by: Gmattola
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 27, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/a8cdf6d8-6466-4597-9f8f-b7b6ce3ba25a.jpeg?itok=I0dBioJw)
Observation date: Jul 22, 2022
Submitted by: GWT.photography
Region: Muscatine County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Jan 08, 2023
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Observation date: Dec 05, 2022
Submitted by: MatCo86
Region: Texas, Matagorda County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 09, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1510624.jpg?itok=yAPkh6Lh)
Observation date: Nov 01, 2022
Submitted by: meganphillipslowery
Region: Bastrop County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 13, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1510624_0.jpg?itok=9KrISDm_)
Observation date: Nov 01, 2022
Submitted by: meganphillipslowery
Region: Bastrop County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 08, 2022
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