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 169 - 192 of 2702 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 06, 2019
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Eaton County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 30, 2016
Submitted by: buffysilver
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2018
Submitted by: animke
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2016
Submitted by: Derpyslurp
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 28, 2017
Submitted by: steinhem
Region: Livingston County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Oct 07, 2016
Submitted by: Bparnell3417
Region: Alamance County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 10, 2022
Observation date: Jun 07, 2016
Submitted by: Laurensekulski
Region: Liberty County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 02, 2022
Observation date: Jul 29, 2021
Submitted by: Chrysanthemum
Region: Albemarle County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 29, 2022
Observation date: Aug 08, 2015
Submitted by: Bonnie S
Region: Escambia County, Florida, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 29, 2022
Observation date: Oct 31, 2020
Submitted by: GreenDimes
Region: Lake County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 23, 2022
Observation date: Jun 21, 2019
Submitted by: mindowa
Region: Cape May County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jan 05, 2022
Observation date: Jul 24, 2021
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Fentress County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Dec 26, 2021
Observation date: Aug 09, 2021
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Fentress County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Dec 26, 2021
Observation date: Jul 29, 2019
Submitted by: lguidi
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Dec 02, 2021
Observation date: Jul 21, 2011
Submitted by: robin
Region: Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Nov 18, 2021
Observation date: Sep 04, 2014
Submitted by: JMJaskula
Region: Jasper County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 13, 2021
Observation date: Sep 30, 2021
Submitted by: Elizabeth Wolfe
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 30, 2021
Observation date: Jul 10, 2013
Submitted by: Hilary C HUBBARD
Region: Jefferson County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 27, 2021
Observation date: Sep 02, 2021
Submitted by: mspugh5298@hotm...
Region: Lee County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 11, 2021
Observation date: Oct 01, 2021
Submitted by: RedHairGirl
Region: Cobb County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Oct 01, 2021
Observation date: Sep 27, 2021
Submitted by: Nancy Z
Region: Texas, Waller County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 28, 2021
Observation date: Sep 19, 2021
Submitted by: Sue_Ed
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 19, 2021
Observation date: Aug 08, 2021
Submitted by: LisaKoe
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 13, 2021
Observation date: Aug 31, 2021
Submitted by: Colleen
Region: Texas, Llano County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 11, 2021
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