Regal moth
Citheronia regalis
Moth
The regal moth, also called the royal walnut moth, is the adult form of the hickory horned devil caterpillar. The spectacular larvae feed on walnut, hickory, pecan, sweetgum, persimmon, and related eastern hardwoods before burrowing into soil to pupate. Adults are short-lived, non-feeding silk moths, so the garden value comes from keeping large native canopy trees and undisturbed soil beneath them.
Plan for this species
Location-fit plant set for Chicago, IL: host and specialist plants first, then nectar, fruit, seed, foliage, and shelter plants that still fit the current and mid-century climate read.
6 essential relationships / 0 supporting plants
Host/specialist links: 6
Forage/pollination links: 0
Shelter links: 0
Relationship roles: 1
American persimmon
Essential / Larval host plants
The Regal moth record lists persimmon among hickory horned devil larval hosts; American persimmon is Diospyros virginiana, the native eastern persimmon in the catalog.
American sweetgum
Essential / Larval host plants
The Regal moth record lists sweetgum among hickory horned devil larval hosts; sweetgum is Liquidambar styraciflua, a native eastern hardwood.
Black walnut
Essential / Larval host plants
Royal walnut moth / hickory horned devil larvae are documented on walnut-family hardwoods including black walnut; the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center also names the regal moth as a black walnut larval host.
Pecan
Essential / Larval host plants
The Regal moth record explicitly lists pecan among hickory horned devil larval host trees; pecan is Carya illinoinensis.
Pignut hickory
Essential / Larval host plants
The Regal moth record documents hickories among hickory horned devil larval hosts; pignut hickory is Carya glabra, a native eastern Carya.
Shagbark hickory
Essential / Larval host plants
The Regal moth record documents hickories among hickory horned devil larval hosts; shagbark hickory is Carya ovata, a native eastern Carya.
Plants in the catalog
Larval host plants · 7
The Regal moth record lists persimmon among hickory horned devil larval hosts; American persimmon is Diospyros virginiana, the native eastern persimmon in the catalog.
The Regal moth record lists sweetgum among hickory horned devil larval hosts; sweetgum is Liquidambar styraciflua, a native eastern hardwood.
Royal walnut moth / hickory horned devil larvae are documented on walnut-family hardwoods including black walnut; the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center also names the regal moth as a black walnut larval host.
The Regal moth record explicitly lists pecan among hickory horned devil larval host trees; pecan is Carya illinoinensis.
The Regal moth record documents hickories among hickory horned devil larval hosts; pignut hickory is Carya glabra, a native eastern Carya.
The Regal moth record documents hickories among hickory horned devil larval hosts; shagbark hickory is Carya ovata, a native eastern Carya.
The regal moth - whose spectacular hickory horned devil caterpillar is the largest in North America - uses oaks among its hosts, and its range is centred on exactly the southeastern hardwood country this oak occupies.
Range
Eastern United States, mostly from New England and the Great Lakes south through the Gulf states and west into the lower Midwest and eastern Plains.
Sources & citations
Cite this page
Use this citation for the Plotwright wildlife record. Use the source cards below to explore the references that informed its taxonomy, range, conservation, host plants, foraging, and habitat.
Plotwright. (n.d.). Regal moth (Citheronia regalis). Retrieved 2026, August 20, from https://plotwright.com/wildlife/citheronia-regalis
Sources used for this record
This record is compiled from the sources below.
BAMONA: Regal Moth Citheronia regalis
Species profile used for range, adult/lifecycle context, and larval host trees including walnut, hickory, pecan, sweetgum, and persimmon.
BugGuide: Citheronia regalis
Identification and host-plant cross-check for the royal walnut moth / hickory horned devil.
GBIF: Citheronia regalis
GBIF returns an exact accepted species match for Citheronia regalis at key 1865555 in family Saturniidae.
iNaturalist: Citheronia regalis
iNaturalist taxon 81586 is the species Citheronia regalis, the regal moth.