Imperial Moth Life Cycle
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- Опубликовано: 10 авг 2017
- This video was taken of various stages of the life cycle of Imperial Moths during August, 2017 in Auburn, Alabama. Little information is available on the conservation status of this species. However, threats to this species include or may include lack of scientific knowledge, forestry practices, and use of pesticides and herbicides. The Imperial Moth is one of our most beautiful moths. Let's do all we can to protect this moth including providing adequate supply of the species' host plants which include Bald Cypress, basswood, birch, cedar, elm, hickory, Honeylocust, maple, oak, pine, Sassafras, Sweetgum, sycamore, walnut, and perhaps others.
Животные
My son spotted one of these on our walk this evening (adult male). Feel lucky to have seen it in the wild.
You are so right to note how lucky your son was to see this beautiful moth. I have always been mesmerized when I have seen them in their native locations. Thanks for the comment.
Its great to know that this beauty was on my hand very slow and came out first of daylight to greet us. Tallahassee, FL. Has quite the extensive Moth and Butterfly lists
Thanks for your comments, Theresa.
I saw one of these caterpillars last week and just recently discovered what species it was!! So adorable and I got really nice pictures of it
Hi Lara, and I am pleased that you observed an Imperial Moth Caterpillar. Most people never have that opportunity. They are amazing creatures and congratulation on getting some photos of it.
My daughter just found one of these guys at around 5pm outside. Thinking pic keeping it. Was crawling on ground about 4 inches deep dark red/purplish color
Such a cool video! Yesterday me and my family found the moth outside with some tears in triangle shapes in one of its wings as if a bird was trying to eat it so we took it inside since it cant fly well and set it down with a little towel (they have to have a warm surface at nighr for flight power since they are nocturnal they can use solar power like butterflies) and some peices or friut they are so amazing! We also have a luna moth pupa that we saved from ants when it was a catipillar.
So glad to hear you have had the experience of observing this magnificent moth species. Kudos to you and your family for saving the moths and pupae from destruction. Thanks for the comments.
@@Lejun40 No problem! Also update.. it died. We think it was the end of its lifecycle because before it died it was only able to lay 1 egg. We are going to try and take care of it and let it go when its a moth. I know the catipillars have irritating hairs. Any tips for caring for it?
Thanks for the update Aideen. Those of us engaged in protecting and safeguarding butterflies and moths greatly appreciate your support of these wonderful creatures.
Interesting!!! Nice capture!!!
Thanks for the comments!
I found one on the ground..seems to be injured..not flying just seems impaired..
I was in my driveway yesterday and one of these dropped out of the tree and landed on the decomposing leaves behind me. I got some good picture with my Pentax K-5.
Thanks for the comments. I am pleased to hear you got good photos of this beautiful moth.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS!! My child found one of these in an oak tree. The next day it stormed really bad, causing small branch w leaves the little guy was on to fall on the ground. Thrn the next day we found the little fuy moving real slow across my patio. Hes full grown but def. much slimmer than when he was on the branch. We didnt know what he needed so i took the branch if leaves he was on before the storm and laid it down in front of him in case he needed to eat. He crawled right on and has stayed in it for about an hour now. I havent seen him eat anything but just appearing to be napping. Im sure he must be worn out crawling across the yard and patio for last 2 days. Please advise if i should move the branch on top of some soft soil right now or does he need to eat first. Me and child would like to set him up a habitat to watch him in life stages. But if this is bad idea and wil kill him i def dont want to hurt him or make him confused and his life more difficult thsn its already been through..please advise items needed for a safe nurturing habitat or whatever iz best to do for his life..thanks so much!!..oops edit correction..i just looked at it and hes eating!!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏THANKYOU GOD!!
My pleasure regarding the video post and thank you for your description of your child's experience with the caterpillar. I would guess your larvae is crawling along the ground searching for a suitable site to burrow into the soil for pupation. Then in the warmer weather the pupae work their way to the surface of the ground prior to emergence of the adult moth. I have heard that caterpillars will feed on a variety of plant species in captivity and some have said that they have had best sucess with pines.
This is one of the best references I have found on raising Imperial Moths: lepcurious.blogspot.com
Hopefully this will help and thanks for your interest and good luck!
Here is another reference that may be of value: ask.extension.org/questions/202437
This is actually the key reference on raising the Imperial Moth: lepcurious.blogspot.com/2011/12/raising-imperial-moths.html
I’m caring for one of these big green boogers right now. I think he’s 5th instar. He has dirt and I really hope he’ll make it through metamorphosis, I haven’t had a caterpillar survive that long, though I know why now. They were tent caterpillars and I was younger and wouldn’t leave them alone. They would kill themselves during metamorphosis or cocooning sometimes or I just neglected them... I know better now that I’m older.
Thanks for your comments.
Wow
Very interesting
Thanks for your comments.
the eggs I found were green, is this normal? I need help, because I have a profile on tik Tok, and I don't know anything about the imperial moth
At first the eggs are super green, then as they grow you can see the little caterpillars inside!
I have a question for anyone that may know.... I have one right now hanging in my tree by my front porch (Near Raleigh, NC). He was quite active for several days but now is hanging upside down by his middle section legs. His head is hanging down and off to the side and he hasn't moved in 24 hours. Does anyone know if he is going into his final stage? I would hope that he is not dead:(. We have been watching him eat/sleep all week and my daughter is very excited to hopefully have an Imperial Moth nearby:). Lol
I would appreciate any info you could give. Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Bridget and thanks for your comment/question.
The adult Imperial Moths tend to remain motionless a good deal of the time. They can even mimic dead leaves that are seen in wooded areas about the time the moths are emerging. They also have a short life span and do not eat. They typically do not live for more than a few days, perhaps a week at most. Their life is focused on reproduction at that stage. So, I would say that your moth probably had a normal life span and is near death or has died. It is also possible that the moth could have been attached by a predator because they provide food for many animals, especially birds. It is great that you have seen one since they are in decline in many areas, particularly the northeastern US.
I found like three of these in this weeks (i have never seen them before) one was like dark red, and the others green but the horns weren´t yellow, they were pink, why is this? thanks!
Hi Camila and thanks for your comments and questions. I presume your questions are about the larvae (caterpillar) and not the adult moth.
Moth larvae include several stages in their development called "instars" and these stages can be quite variable in terms of color, size and pattern.
The Imperial Moth has 5 larval instars and each one of them vary in color. The 1st instar is orange with transverse black bands. The 2nd instar larvae is dark brown and there are also fine hairs on the body.
The 3rd and 4th instars can be brown or burgandy in color but there can also be some variation in the shades of color.
The 5th and final instars are highly variable in color ranging from light to dark brown, burgundy, or green. The dark brown forms may be marked with burnt-orange patches dorsally and surrounding the spiracles (spiracles are the extenal openings that allow gas respiration). The area immediately around the spiracles is white in brown larvae and yellow in green larvae. The bristles or horns of green larvae are yellow but may vary in color. Brown larvae are more common than green ones.
The color of a given instar is determined by the pigment that is present in the caterpillar at any given time. The development of and changing of these pigments have genetic and environmental bases.
The color difference between the caterpillar instars thought to be related to their temperature of their surroundings. It may be explained by their exposure to short days during their first two to three instars of development: For example if the daylength is 12 hours or less, black swallowtail caterpillars stay black; if daylength is greater than 12 hours, the caterpillars adopt their typical green, white, and yellow coloration.
Sorry for the lengthy response but I hope this helps.
@@Lejun40 thank You for answering me!
My Pleasure.
We've have this very magnificent species that has rested on the side of our BBQ grill/blue tarp. We took pictures of it but are not disturbing it at all. We are amazed at how big and beautiful it is.
Thanks, Marcey, for reporting on the fact that you have an Imperial Moth at your house. This is surely one of our largest and most beautiful moths in the US. Thanks for not disturbing it. You might be interested to know that this moth is in a regional decline throughtout the northeastern US. Reasons for the decline have been proposed to be the use of pesticides and the introduction of parasitoids in the attempt to control the gypsy moth population. The moth seems to be stable in the Middle-Atlantic states and the south.
@@Lejun40
First I'd like to thank you for sharing this video. I enjoyed it's informative nature.
We currently reside in S. E. Ohio in the Ohio Valley. Have you ever raised these caterpillars from hatchling at all? If so, when it was close to time for them to pupate, what did you do? Or what would you suggest for someone like me who has has been caring for almost 40 of them?
@@JANEEDISTURBED My pleasure. I have answered your other comment re: raising the cats. Good luck in raising your cats to adult moths. They are beautiful as well. Thanks again.
I live in mid Indiana & opened my door one morning to find a beautiful adult male. I'm just wondering is it normal for them to be in Indiana ? He's gorgeous & I was sad to learn he probably won't live much longer.
Ahh nature one of the most DANGEROUS abut peaceful places
Thanks for the comment, Terrance. Yes nature has its ways and the human race considers it pretty ruthless and aggressive at times. Yet it is a result of this that so far, nature offers a stable and peaceful alternative to our life style, particularly in these times.
I have almost 40 of these caterpillars right now. Have been caring for them since their mother laid their eggs and they hatched. I've been learning as I go along. They are a lot of work to care for them.
Built them a habitat and later, ended up having to build another to separate the siblings after their 3rd instar, because the older ones (who hatched first) were eating a lot more and bullied their younger siblings, keeping them from food. They're now in their last instar before pupation. They're SO FAT it isn't even funny! The younger ones (smaller in their 4th going into last before pupating) will most likely pupate later after their older siblings (who did hatch early too) are already sleeping. So fascinating they are!
*Question* though, how does one know when they will soon begin to pupate? They're moving slower than usual. Also, one is acting a bit strange. It's losing interest in eating and VERY slow in movement. It's actually a bit concerning.
The majority of them are the dark form. With the white spiracles along their sides. One is lighter than the rest. But they're eating more than pigs would, for being a smaller creature, lol. Trying to keep up with that is a big job, when you have this many lol.
Luckily, my son works a cutting and landscaping line where they trim down right of ways alongside mountains and hills etc. of S. E. Ohio Valley, near the West Virginia border, and W.V. as well.
Also, another *question* , how does one know if any of these caterpillars have a sickness or disease? And what causes that?
Hi and thanks for the comments and questions. Although I am very interested in this moth species, I have no experience in raising and the care of this moth caterpillar. However, I am aware of an excellent post on the subject, the link to of which is: butterflywebsite.com/articles/lizday/moth.html This is the most complete and extensive document on Saturnid Moth Caterpillars I have seen and I think it will answer all of your questions. It is amazing that you have 40 of the cats at what appears to be the final instar stage.
In case you are interested, here is a link to my photos of the caterpillars in the wild: pbase.com/lejun/imperialmothcat Do you have photographs of your cats? Thanks again for the comments.
Should you leave these pupae alone if found on top of soil?
Hi Sarah and thanks for the question. I have had no experience with handling or care of this species. However, based upon my understanding of the life cycle of the Imperial Moth, the larvae (caterpillars) typically move from their host plant and wander on the ground searching for a burrowing site in the soil for pupation.
In my opinion, if one sees larvae which are full grown and cease feeding, loose soil should be put around them as a substrate for pupation.
If pupae happen to be observed on top of the ground, I would again recommend that they be placed in soil for their protection.
If found, I feel these life forms are important to protect in that they are vulnerable to a number of predators including birds, parasites, and diseases, and insecticides, pesticides, and parasitoids for the control of the gypsy moth.
The numbers of Imperial Moths is declining in many areas and it is imperiled in parts of southeastern Canada and the northeastern US.
@@Lejun40 Thanks so much for your response! My boyfriend had found one while working outdoors and brought it inside in fear that a bird would get it. I'm wondering if we should bring it back outdoors and dig a small hole for it and cover it with a light coating (enough for protection) of soil.
Sarah, I do think it would be a good idea to place whatever you have (pupa or larva) outside in the soil to protect it from predators and give it a chance to emerge as an adult moth. Thanks for your interest in saving the moth.
The larva is incredible
The entire moth cycle is just incredible. I was so pleased to come across the larva. Thanks for your comments.
I found one of these guys two days ago! Fifth instar and green. He was on my porch so I put him with some leaves and left him. I checked on a few times and noticed he was making little balls of liquid on his mouth? And sometimes he would just roll over on his back and then on his feet again. I tried googling what he is doing but can’t seem to figure it out. I put him in some soft dirt just now (I figured he was trying to pupate and read that they burrow underground) and now he’s doing the same thing but in the dirt! Kinda just rolling over and over and over again. Do you know what he’s doing? He also looks a lot less green today than he did yesterday. His feet turned brown too. If you could help that would be awesome.
Also I live in Central Texas :-)
@@tinybbyk I'm south of Houston. Mine I found today, dark reddish purple. Buried in the dirt I put in a container as soon as I put it in there. It will hatch in the spring/summer.
I found one in my garden and didn't know what it was. It was sickly looking and wasn't moving. I placed it
why was this on 4k ?
Thanks for your comment, Amitava. I typically use 4K format because it provides me with more cropping flexibility. That is, I can enlarge footage or still photos much more without loosing resolution. Hope this helps.
That boi look huge
Yes, it is one of the larger and one of the most beautiful moths in North America. Thanks for the comment.
The caterpillar is cute
Yes, the caterpillars are quite interesting and cute as you describe them. Of even more interest, is that they undergo and amazing transformation into a beautiful moth. One of the great wonders of science. Thanks for your comment.
I raised on of these guys up I found a 5th instar brown caterpillar and Put it in a critter keeper with Coco fiber it hatched the female came out with it wing deformity so we set it outside in three males come over one was mating with the female but the eggs and hatched
whats with the sound effects
That is the background sound file created during creation of the video. I use an omnidirectional microphone on my camera.
@@Lejun40 lol
❤💙💛
Thanks!
Found one in it's 5th star green form 10/26/18 mid day.
Great! Where are you located? I like to keep track of dates and locations of observation sites. Thanks.
@@Lejun40 20+ miles Northwest of Houston, TX it's already a brown color. I have it in a big jar with a fern, some grass, and dirt. I'll probably let it go soon.
Thanks, Kamron. The Imperial Moth is one of the widest ranging moths in its genus Eacles. Unfortunately, there are some
regional declines in the northeastern part of the US with no records being reported in some areas for a number of years.
You may be aware of it but it is usually helpful to keep the humidity high in any containers in which the larva are being held.
They are typically held in closed containers with damp paper towels on the bottom of the container to keep the humidity up.
I literally just found one really dark reddish color on ground. In Webster, tx about 25 miles south of Houston texas
Haven't let it go yet 11/4/18, but it has seemingly disappeared. I believe it's under the dirt possibly in it's pupae form. Will check tomorrow and update this post.
I'm scared of moths
My mom is scared of moth caterpillars
*Pretty cool cycle*
Hi Aurick and thanks for your comment. Some caterpillars are pretty scary looking and this is because their looks help to repel or scare off predators such as birds. Their markings and certain body parts can make them seem to be threatening. Some have spiny bristles that can irritate the skin but many of them are harmless.
2:33 He’s with fire ants!!!
Thanks for the comment, Lukas. I played the video back in slow motion and counted 3 fire ants between 2:30 and 2:43 and there may have been more. I am surprised there were not even more given that the video was shot in August in Auburn, Alabama, a perfect habitat for fire ants, particularly that time of year. I did not note any indication of the ants attacking the caterpillar. The species is vulnerable to several different kinds of predators during its life cycle including birds, mammals, and insects. Insect predators include tachinid flies and ants. The long scoli (a branched projection or spine usually more than 5 times as long as wide) of the caterpillars may provide protection from some insect predators. When threatened, the cats swing their thorax back and forth striking the predators with the scoli.
wth os all that noise when he is in the soil? probably edit that out next time bc its really annoying
Its mothra