Eacles imperialis

You won’t see imperial moths this winter, but you can find their pupae during fall and winter gardening. This beautiful moth begins its life cycle in late summer as a bright yellow egg that hatches in two weeks. Its larvae start as tiny caterpillars with huge heads, spikes, and long fine hairs. The larvae can grow to be as big as hotdogs! Look for them on host plants like oaks, maples, elms, and pines. In the fall, the caterpillar buries itself in soil or leaf litter to change into a large, hard, brown pupa with a flattened forked tail. It spends the winter as a dormant pupa, emerging in the summer as a beautiful moth.

Cool links:

Forestry Images - a good selection of Imperial Moth images.

Imperial Moth page - at the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Website.

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caterpillar photo: Mike Dunn