Small Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia)

OTHER NAMES: Emperor Moth
Latin Etymology: Saturnia (for Saturn) pavonia (?)

Adult male Small Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia) at Geddington, Northants, UK - April 2022

Featured Subspecies: 
Weight: ?  /  Length: ?  /  Wingspan: 6-8cm
UK STATUS NOT EVALUATED/ IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

In the UK, this species is more generally known as the "emperor moth" as it is the sole representative of its family found here. They have a wide range of food plants, some notable examples in the UK including alder, birch, heather, hawthorn, beech, starberry, ash, walnut, oak and assorted fruit trees. They are sexually dimorphic, with the female having a greyer colour scheme.

Related Species:
Order:  Lepidoptera
Family: Saturniidae
Genus: Saturnia
SUBSPECIES: S. p. homophora, S. p. lapp,archica, S. p. postrosacea

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Widely distributed
 - Seen at Geddington

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto