DISTRIBUTON:

Eacles imperialis pini (wingspan 8.6-11 cm), a subspecies of Eacles imperialis, fly in pine forests in southern Quebec and Ontario and across the northern Great Lakes Basin in the U.S. The adult moths can be distinguished from nominate imperialis by their smaller size, well defined post-medial lines on the ventral surfaces of both fore and hindwings, and the more generous spreckling of black or purple dots on all wings.

Ralph Clark reports recent findings of pini larvae in upstate New York: "The first was on the second tee of the Port Kent golf course, Port Kent , NY, which is in a pine forest. I allowed that one to metamorph and confirmed its identity. That one I have as a mounted specimen. The next year I caught a second one as I walked from the 17th green to the 18th tee of the Adirondack Golf Course in Peru, New York. The two courses are about 10 miles from each other."

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths fly as a single brood from mid June to early August with the majority on the wing in early July. Larvae feed almost exclusively on conifers especially red pine and eastern white pine.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Adults will pair readily in cages, and calling females successfully attract males even on very cold nights. Both males and females come in to lights. This subspecies will pair with nominate imperialis producing fully viable adult males and females.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

Larvae, which become visible through eggshells just before hatching, emerge from large, bright yellow, translucent eggs in approximately fourteen days.

Larval spines are extremely well developed in the early instars and diminish, relative to body size, in the last two instars when larvae approach 8cm. Coloration varies from brown to green with black banding on the sides.

Pupae have an elongated, pointed cremaster and tend to be very active.

There is considerable variation in the amount of black on the upper and lower wings as evidenced in the following two specimens:

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant and possible alternate food plants listed in Tuskes, Tuttle, and Collins' The Wild Silk Moths of North America. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Picea glauca Pinus banksiana Pinus resinosa Pinus strobus Pinus sylvestis Quercus palustis Sapindus saponaria.....

White spruce Jack pine Red pine Eastern white pine Scotch pine Pin oak Wingleaf soapberry

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SATURNIIDAE OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
EUROPEAN SATURNIIDAE
NORTH AMERICAN SATURNIIDAE
BUTTERFLIES OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
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