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| Eacles imperialis - Imperial Moth |
Quinn Cashell, a 4-H Summer Program Assistant noticed this beautiful moth laying eggs on the
Gass House this afternoon. Linda Secrist, and Don Knode, the Master Gardener on duty at the Hotline identified it as an Imperial Moth, or
Eacles imperialis. Jenn Wetzel came out and took these close up pictures.
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| Eacles imperialis - Imperial Moth |
Imperial Moths belong to the family
Saturniidae, that include the
Polyphemus Moth, and the
Hickory Horned Devil that we've noticed elsewhere on the blog.
The larval host plants for
this moth are trees like Bald Cypress, basswood, birch, cedar, elm, hickory, Honeylocust, maple, oak, pine, Sassafras (
Sassafras albidum), Sweetgum (
Liquidambar styraciflua), sycamore, and walnut. They are seldom present in sufficient numbers to cause serious damage.
The chance of these eggs hatching and finding a host species for food are not high - poor choice for an egg laying site, mommy moth.
Come learn more about gardening for wildlife, including moths and butterflies and their larval host plants at the Saturday, August 4th workshop,
"Butterflies in Your Backyard" from 9:30-11:30 where
Master Gardeners Kathy Engle and Laurie Collins will show participants how to design and maintain a butterfly garden.
This class will discuss basic design principles and important requirements for a successful butterfly garden. Focus will be on different butterflies found in our area and proper plant selection for each type. Information on various conservation programs to certify local gardens will also be discussed.
I JUST found one of these beauties on the side of the facility where I work! And she is laying eggs NOW!!!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention that I live in East Tennessee! :-)
ReplyDeleteCan she and her eggs be moved to a safer location, or is it best to just leave her alone?
ReplyDelete