Field Guide
🪲
Emperor Moth
Saturnia pavonia
Not yet photographed by the community
Males fly by day on heathland; four vivid eye spots.
Species Profile
Least Concern; locally common in suitable habitats, though populations can fluctuate with environmental conditions.
- Lifespan
- 4–6 weeks as an adult moth; total lifecycle 1 year including larval and pupal stages
- Size & Weight
- Wingspan 32–40 mm
- Habitat
- Open moorlands, heathlands, and rough grassland with abundant foodplants such as bilberry and heather.
- UK Distribution
- Resident species found primarily in northern England, Scotland, Wales, and southwestern England; populations are most abundant on upland areas and coastal heaths.
- Diet
- Adult moths do not feed; larvae feed exclusively on low-growing plants including bilberry, heather, hawthorn, and bramble.
- Predators
- Birds, spiders, and parasitic wasps; larvae are preyed upon by ground beetles and small mammals.
- Mating Season
- May to June
- Breeding
- Females lay clusters of 50–150 eggs on or near foodplants; single brood per year; eggs hatch after 1–2 weeks, larvae develop over 6–8 weeks, pupation occurs in soil for overwintering.
- Behaviour
- Males are day-flying and highly active, often seen hovering around vegetation in search of females. Females are mostly nocturnal and remain well-camouflaged. The species is notably dimorphic, with males smaller and more brightly coloured than females.
- •The Emperor Moth is the only British representative of the family Saturniidae (silk moths), making it a distinctive and iconic species.
- •Males have distinctive feathered antennae that are used to detect pheromones from females from distances up to 1 km away.
- •The species exhibits striking eyespots on the hindwings, which are thought to startle predators when suddenly exposed.
- •The caterpillar is highly spiny with a distinctive green coloration, making it conspicuous but unpalatable to many predators.
- •This moth has shown range expansion and population increases in recent decades, possibly linked to climate change and habitat management practices on heathlands.
🪲
No photos yet
Be the first to photograph a Emperor Moth and share it with the community.