Mariposa-imperial
Eacles imperialis
Mariposa
Grande mariposa-da-seda amarela e roxa (Saturniidae) cujas larvas se alimentam de Acer (bordo), Quercus (carvalho), Pinus, Sassafras e uma ampla variedade de outras plantas lenhosas decíduas e perenes. As lagartas podem alcançar 4 inches e se alimentam solitárias na borda da copa. A envergadura da mariposa adulta é de 3-7 inches; os adultos não se alimentam. As populações declinaram de forma significativa em todo o leste dos Estados Unidos devido a uma combinação de poluição luminosa (que perturba o acasalamento), fragmentação de habitat e pressão de parasitoides por moscas tachinídeas introduzidas.
Conservação
Sem listagem formal na IUCN, mas em declínio em toda a área de distribuição oriental segundo várias observações em nível estadual; plantar árvores nativas de copa (carvalhos especialmente) e reduzir a iluminação externa são as ações de conservação canônicas.
Plano para esta espécie
Conjunto de plantas adequado para Chicago, IL: primeiro plantas hospedeiras e especialistas, depois plantas de néctar, frutos, sementes, folhagem e abrigo que ainda se encaixam na leitura climática atual e de meados do século.
6 relações essenciais / 0 plantas de apoio
Relações hospedeiro/especialista: 6
Relações forrageio/polinização: 0
Relações de abrigo: 0
Papéis de relação: 1
Carvalho-negro
Essencial / Plantas hospedeiras de larvas
Imperial moth larvae feed on oak foliage alongside the hairstreaks and duskywings that also use Quercus on dry upland sites.
Carvalho-castanheiro
Essencial / Plantas hospedeiras de larvas
Imperial moth larvae feed on oak foliage across the eastern hardwood range this species occupies.
Carvalho-chinquapim
Essencial / Plantas hospedeiras de larvas
Imperial moth larvae feed on oak foliage across the eastern hardwood range this species occupies.
Pinheiro-branco-do-leste
Essencial / Plantas hospedeiras de larvas
Pinheiro-incenso
Essencial / Plantas hospedeiras de larvas
Imperial moth is one of the few large saturniids that feeds on pine as well as hardwoods, and loblolly is within its southeastern range. The pine-feeding larvae are green and strikingly different in appearance from the hardwood-feeding form.
Carvalho-vermelho-do-norte
Essencial / Plantas hospedeiras de larvas
Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae feed on Quercus canopy through summer alongside multiple hairstreak (Banded, Edward's, Gray, White-M per NC State) and duskywing (Horace's, Juvenal's) species. Oak canopy is the foundational eastern hardwood Lep habitat.
Plantas no catálogo
Plantas hospedeiras de larvas · 23
Imperial moth larvae feed on oak foliage alongside the hairstreaks and duskywings that also use Quercus on dry upland sites.
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center documents black walnut as a larval host for large silk moths (Saturniidae), naming the luna and regal moths; the imperial moth (Eacles imperialis) is a closely related polyphagous Saturniid that also uses walnut, mapped here as the nearest catalogued silk-moth host.
Oaks (Quercus spp.) are among the commonly reported larval hosts of the polyphagous imperial moth (Eacles imperialis), per Butterflies and Moths of North America; host use is regional, so this is recorded as plausible rather than a documented bur-oak-specific record.
Imperial moth larvae feed on oak foliage across the eastern hardwood range this species occupies.
Imperial moth larvae feed on oak foliage across the eastern hardwood range this species occupies.
Imperial moth is one of the few large saturniids that feeds on pine as well as hardwoods, and loblolly is within its southeastern range. The pine-feeding larvae are green and strikingly different in appearance from the hardwood-feeding form.
Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae feed on Quercus canopy through summer alongside multiple hairstreak (Banded, Edward's, Gray, White-M per NC State) and duskywing (Horace's, Juvenal's) species. Oak canopy is the foundational eastern hardwood Lep habitat.
Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae feed on Carya foliage; hickories are among Tallamy's keystone Lepidoptera-host genera.
Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae feed on oak foliage alongside numerous hairstreaks and duskywings that also use Quercus. Oak canopy is the foundational eastern-hardwood host habitat for native Lepidoptera.
Imperial moth larvae feed on oak foliage across the southern and central range this species occupies.
NC State: "Members of the genus Acer support Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south."
NC State documents sassafras among the imperial moth (Eacles imperialis) larval hosts alongside maples, oaks, and pines.
Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae feed on oak foliage through summer; oaks are among the foundational larval hosts of the eastern hardwood Lepidoptera community.
Carya hosts imperial moth + multiple hairstreak + duskywing species - among Tallamy's keystone genera with hundreds of supported Lepidoptera.
Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae feed on oak foliage among the many hairstreak and duskywing species oak canopy hosts; oak is one of the most important larval-host genera in eastern North America.
Like all oaks, live oak hosts imperial moth + multiple hairstreak + duskywing species.
Imperial moth larvae feed on oak foliage. This is one of the giant silkmoths whose southern populations are strongly associated with the upland oak-pine woods southern red oak helps form.
NC State: "Members of the genus Acer support Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south."
Imperial moth larvae feed on oak foliage through the summer, alongside the many hairstreaks, duskywings and underwing moths that use Quercus as a host.
Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae feed on Quercus canopy through summer; one of the giant silk moths declining across the eastern range due to light pollution. Planting oaks is the canonical conservation action.
Imperial moth larvae feed on oak foliage alongside the hairstreaks and duskywings that also use Quercus. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center specifically lists white M hairstreak and Horace's duskywing as willow oak larval users.
Distribuição
Leste e centro da América do Norte, do sul de Ontário até a Flórida; uma ninhada por ano no sul (April-October), com as populações do norte produzindo um único voo no fim do verão.
Fontes e citações
Citar esta página
Use esta citação para o registro de fauna do Plotwright. Use os cartões de fontes abaixo para explorar as referências que informaram sua taxonomia, distribuição, conservação, plantas hospedeiras, forrageamento e habitat.
Plotwright. (n.d.). Mariposa-imperial (Eacles imperialis). Retrieved 2026, August 20, from https://plotwright.com/wildlife/imperial-moth
Fontes usadas neste registro
Este registro foi compilado a partir das fontes abaixo.
BAMONA: Imperial moth
Species profile for range, brood timing, adult non-feeding status, and broad woody host list.
MDC Field Guide: Imperial moth
State agency species account used for identification detail, larval and adult food, and life-cycle timing. Missouri-scoped, so it is not cited for continental range.
Wikipedia: Eacles imperialis
Corroborating reference for adult size, range decline context, light-pollution pressure, and larval host trees.
GBIF: Eacles imperialis
GBIF backbone key 1865107 is an exact accepted match for the imperial moth Eacles imperialis in family Saturniidae.
iNaturalist: Eacles imperialis
iNaturalist taxon 81590 is the active species record for Eacles imperialis with observation range data.