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 337 - 360 of 2704 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 16, 2020
Submitted by: Cyrus Li
Region: Montgomery County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 16, 2020
Observation date: Jul 14, 2020
Submitted by: KhangoBongo
Region: Albemarle County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 15, 2020
Observation date: Jul 15, 2020
Submitted by: tlrosner70
Region: Craven County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 15, 2020
Observation date: Jul 10, 2020
Submitted by: mothman55
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 13, 2020
Observation date: Jul 10, 2020
Submitted by: Mothra333
Region: Will County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 12, 2020
Observation date: Jul 12, 2020
Submitted by: Dianairene
Region: Grant County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 12, 2020
Observation date: Jul 11, 2020
Submitted by: amyrenea77
Region: Allegany County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 11, 2020
Observation date: Jul 10, 2020
Submitted by: marv1943
Region: Craven County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 10, 2020
Observation date: Jun 30, 2020
Submitted by: franpope
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 05, 2020
Observation date: Jul 03, 2020
Submitted by: dustin.brace
Region: Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 25, 2018
Submitted by: Cyrus Li
Region: Giles County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 02, 2020
Observation date: Jun 30, 2020
Submitted by: Bubba
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2020
Observation date: Jun 18, 2020
Submitted by: tsimon1555
Region: Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 30, 2020
Observation date: Jul 20, 2015
Submitted by: Moobamoo
Region: Clay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 27, 2020
Observation date: Jul 11, 2018
Submitted by: Moobamoo
Region: Dixie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 27, 2020
Observation date: Jun 26, 2020
Submitted by: ravonCol
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2020
Observation date: Sep 28, 2019
Submitted by: alexakurowski
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 18, 2020
Observation date: Jun 16, 2020
Submitted by: nancyschmitt
Region: Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jun 16, 2020
Observation date: Jun 14, 2020
Submitted by: purrdr123
Region: Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 15, 2020
Observation date: Jun 14, 2020
Submitted by: kristajo74
Region: Logan County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 14, 2020
Observation date: May 27, 2020
Submitted by: Amandalbrothers
Region: Choctaw County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 31, 2020
Observation date: Jul 27, 2017
Submitted by: Ohio97
Region: Graham County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 24, 2020
Observation date: May 12, 2020
Submitted by: CathlineJ
Region: Clay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 12, 2020
Observation date: Jul 21, 2015
Submitted by: Palmiera
Region: Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 04, 2020
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