Subject: Moth???
Location: Jacksonville Florida
October 13, 2012 11:25 pm
This photo was snapped by our daughter, avid bug watchers here, never seen these, so pretty, hope it’s not some invasive crop destroyer?!?
Thank you for your time!
Signature: Thomas & Jamie
Dear Thomas & Jamie,
This is a gorgeous male Imperial Moth, Eacles imperialis. Females of the species have more yellow on the wings and males have more purple markings, though the highly variable markings range in color from “pinkish, orangish, or purplish-brown” according to BugGuide. They are not considered to be crop destroyers. According to BugGuide, the eating habits are described as: “Larvae feed on leaves of Bald Cypress, basswood, birch, cedar, elm, hickory, Honeylocust, maple, oak, pine, Sassafras (Sassafras albidum), Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), sycamore, walnut.
Adults do not feed.”