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Identity

Saturnia pyri is a silk moth in Saturniidae, commonly called the giant peacock moth. Both sexes carry a similar arrangement of eyespots on all four wings. [1]

Morphology and identification

The wings are dark grey-brown, each with a prominent concentric eyespot. Young caterpillars are black with reddish or orange tubercles; later larvae become yellow-green with blue tubercles and long, club-tipped spines. [1]

Distribution and habitat

In southern Europe, the moth occupies relatively open wooded habitats, parks, gardens and orchards. Huemer recorded adults in downy oak woodland at Trauttmansdorff Castle, South Tyrol, in May 2021. [1][2]

Life cycle

Pupation occurs in a tough, fibrous cocoon. The pupa overwinters and can remain dormant through more than one winter. On Samos, Wagner observed eggs on the upper surface of a planted pear’s leaf in early May. [1][3]

Feeding and host plants

Larvae feed on deciduous trees, particularly Rosaceae such as Pyrus, Prunus and Malus domestica. Wagner’s northern Greek observations found larvae and cocoons on the thorny wild pear Pyrus spinosa. [2][3]

Behaviour

Adults fly at night. In Maryland, Bryant observed wild male Antheraea polyphemus attracted to calling captive female S. pyri. The males attempted to mate, but none of the encounters produced successful coupling. [1][4]