NOW: Saturnia pavonia EGGS
Host plants: Willow, Hawthorn, Birch, Alder, Maple, Oak, Cherry, Plum, Apple (and most fruit trees), Heather. Many more reported!
Difficulty: Easy (2/10)
Temperature: Room temperature or can be reared outdoors
Lifecycle: Breeds early in spring; colourful and highly variable caterpillars; pupae remain dormant inside a cocoon for 10 or 11 months until the following spring
The Emperor Moth is our only native Silk Moth (Saturnidae) but can nonetheless be found throughout the UK, particularly in rural areas. The moths typically emerge in early spring, usually April or May when the tree buds begin to open. Interestingly, they fly by day and many males can pick up the pheromones from a single female from miles away. The male moths are smaller than the females and orange-brown in colour, while females are grey. Caterpillars are very easy to rear and have a variety of colour forms, changing at each stage, making them a very interesting project. Host plants include: Willow, Birch, Cherry, Hawthorn, Oak and multiple others. The caterpillars spin a cocoon which has a sort of netted structure, where they spend the winter before emerging to breed the following spring.