Emperor Moth
Latin name: Saturnia pavonia
Forewing length: The male is 27-32mm but the female is larger at 35-41mm.
The Emperor moth is common and widely distributed across Britain, including the Channel Islands. It has one flight generation between April and late May and will live in open scrubby regions such as: heathland, hedgerows, fens, field margins and woodland rides. Its larval form can be seen in the picture below.
Identifying feature: Very striking species making it unmistakable. The male is orange in colour, whereas the female is a silver-grey. The eyespots on both forewings and hindwings are the most obvious characteristic but rarely individuals are found lacking these marks.
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