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 73 - 96 of 2703 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 29, 2016
Submitted by: atteberry
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
Observation date: Sep 21, 2016
Submitted by: Jinchuurikage
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
Observation date: Aug 07, 2016
Submitted by: missrla
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
Observation date: Aug 05, 2016
Submitted by: Tenderglobe5
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
Observation date: Jul 14, 2016
Submitted by: ArthurOgawa
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 12, 2016
Submitted by: Gmattola
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 22, 2022
Submitted by: GWT.photography
Region: Muscatine County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Jan 08, 2023
Observation date: Dec 05, 2022
Submitted by: MatCo86
Region: Texas, Matagorda County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 09, 2022
Observation date: Nov 01, 2022
Submitted by: meganphillipslowery
Region: Bastrop County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 13, 2022
Observation date: Nov 01, 2022
Submitted by: meganphillipslowery
Region: Bastrop County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 08, 2022
Observation date: Sep 22, 2022
Submitted by: zjrogers
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 23, 2022
Observation date: Sep 17, 2022
Submitted by: Mrs.LatoyaKMoore
Region: Douglas County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 22, 2022
Observation date: Aug 26, 2022
Submitted by: Gramps
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 22, 2022
Observation date: Aug 29, 2022
Submitted by: Debarace
Region: Texas, Wood County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 22, 2022
Observation date: Sep 15, 2022
Submitted by: Caterpillarnb
Region: Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 21, 2022
Observation date: Sep 17, 2022
Submitted by: Mrs.LatoyaKMoore
Region: Douglas County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 21, 2022
Observation date: Aug 10, 2019
Submitted by: Justinleeschad
Region: Cole County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 15, 2019
Submitted by: rosedrakon
Region: Lafayette County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 15, 2019
Submitted by: rosedrakon
Region: Lafayette County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 18, 2019
Submitted by: adhunt
Region: Stone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 27, 2019
Submitted by: Jbrad42010
Region: Jackson County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 27, 2019
Submitted by: Gangbusterswife
Region: Jackson County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 26, 2019
Submitted by: JoeC
Region: Jefferson County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 29, 2019
Submitted by: Feliciahale
Region: St. Charles County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 17, 2022
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