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 193 - 216 of 2704 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Sep 08, 2021
Submitted by: Misterfluff
Region: Baltimore County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 08, 2021
Observation date: Sep 03, 2021
Submitted by: wvlynnie
Region: Hardy County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 04, 2021
Observation date: Aug 01, 2021
Submitted by: Elizabeth Wolfe
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 03, 2021
Observation date: Aug 30, 2021
Submitted by: rubyloftin
Region: Wagoner County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 31, 2021
Observation date: Aug 26, 2021
Submitted by: firewoman
Region: Fayette County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 27, 2021
Observation date: Aug 24, 2021
Submitted by: Darrin Frye
Region: Frederick County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 25, 2021
Observation date: Aug 14, 2021
Submitted by: plawryniuk
Region: Newport News, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 23, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2021
Submitted by: mattbperry
Region: Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 23, 2021
Observation date: Jul 30, 2021
Submitted by: randomocitymakers
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 23, 2021
Observation date: Aug 14, 2021
Submitted by: Moxostoma
Region: Cobb County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 15, 2021
Observation date: Aug 07, 2021
Submitted by: Kitten5353
Region: Brantley County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 09, 2021
Observation date: Sep 12, 2012
Submitted by: GreenDimes
Region: Lake County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 08, 2021
Observation date: Jul 28, 2021
Submitted by: campergal
Region: Virginia, Warren County, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 04, 2021
Submitted by: Curious_in_Maryland
Region: Harford County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 05, 2021
Observation date: Aug 03, 2021
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Camden County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 04, 2021
Observation date: Aug 02, 2021
Submitted by: 1Applelady
Region: Noble County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 03, 2021
Observation date: Aug 01, 2021
Submitted by: Bill D
Region: Wake County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 02, 2021
Observation date: Jul 30, 2021
Submitted by: Poc
Region: Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 31, 2021
Observation date: Jul 22, 2021
Submitted by: Poc
Region: Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 31, 2021
Observation date: Jul 27, 2021
Submitted by: mka0425
Region: Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 29, 2021
Observation date: Jul 26, 2021
Submitted by: Larat
Region: Livingston County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Mark Wheeler
Verified date: Jul 28, 2021
Observation date: Jul 23, 2021
Submitted by: Kitten5353
Region: Brantley County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 25, 2021
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