Imperial Moth
Eacles imperialis

Family: Saturniidae 
subfamily:  Ceratocampinae-Hodges # 7704

Immatures
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MOLTING TO  FIFTH  INSTAR        ADULT
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Ovum
ovum


#1 First Instar
first instar


#1 First Instar
first Instar


#1 Second Instar - 2 August 2012
2nd Instar


#1 Second Instar
2nd Intsar



#1 Molted  to Third Instar 6 August 2012, Photo on 7 August 2012
Third Instar


#1 Molted  to Third Instar 6 August 2012, Photo on 7 August 2012
Third Instar



#2 Fourth Instar - Molted 9:30 P.M. 11 August 2012 - Photo 3:40 P.M. 12 August 2012
#2 Fourth Instar


#1 Fifth Instar - molted 21 August, photo on 25 August 2012
5th instar on 25 August 2012 60 mm long



Close-up of Head
close-up of head



Fifth Instar turning a more golden color - 70 mm -  28 August 2012
a more golden color



1 September 2012  85mm - turning paler color
paler color at 85 mm on 1 September 2012


1 September 2012  85mm - turning paler color
85 mm 1 September, paler color


#1 Prepupa - photo on 16 September
#1 prepupa


Pupa
#1 Male pupa - 46 mm long
pupa
#1 Male pupa - 46 mm long
pupa
#1 Male pupa - 46 mm long
pupa

#1 close-up of tail
no markings on


#1 After hibernation  5 June 2013
pupa
pupa
pupa







PHOTO DETAILS - ©Nicky Davis
LOCATION:  Unknown
ELEVATION: Unknown

LIFE HISTORY:
Ovum: I received 5 eggs but with no information on the day they were laid or the location.

Larva: 
When three  hatched 28 July 2012 they were placed on Ponderosa Pine, then a fir, then a maple, and a Scrub Oak.  After not seeing them feed on any of the plants, I put them each on a Scrub Oak leaf with nothing else to eat for the night.  In the morning they had fed on the oak. The other three  hatchlings were also placed on oak  and  they also  fed on it. They were first instars for five days or until  2 August 2012.

 They molted to third instar on 6 August 2012 or four days. 

Three larvae were given back to John Richards to rear since his hatchlings had refused to eat.  The remaining two molted to fourth instar on 11 August 2012 which was five days  as third instars.  Note that this larva has red spikes on its head and tail but no black tips on the red spikes as it had as  third instar. Also #2 fourth instar also has just red spikes.

#1 molted to fifth instar at 8 P.M. 21 August which was 11 days spent as fourth instar.  On August 25 it was 60 mm long. The maximum length before getting off plant to pupate was 85 mm. Both #1 and #2  threw their heads back and forth when I moved them to a new plant.  When about to feed they would grab a leaf
and rear back pulling the leaf to their mouths

#1  evacuated its bowels and walked off its plant 3:30 P.M. 9 September 2012.  #2 walked off and evacuated bowels before 7 A.M. 10 September 2012.  I transferred both  to a plastic box filled with sand plus some brown paper towel strips and placed the boxes in a cupboard.

TOTAL days between hatch date and formation of pupa was 51.  TOTAL days larvae fed was 43.

After eight days, before 7 A.M. 17 September 2012 both #1 and #2 pupated. #1 was 46 mm long, #2 was 48 mm long

Pupa:  Formed 17 September 2012.  #1  has large antennae on the pupal case and the 4th segment past the wing case is not interrupted in any way. which would indicate a male. #2 is also a male.  These hibernated for the winter in the crisper of the refrigerator at about 40 degrees.

They  were taken out on  28 April 2013 and misted every morning to keep hydrated.  On 18 May 2013 #1 you could no longer see light through the pupa when shining a flashlight through it.  On 24 May 2013 #2 was no longer translucent. Both pupae  still moved when you held them.   On June 5 2013, both pupae began to expand so that the sections of the abdomen were extended but there was still no color change in the wing case or otherwise.

Adult:  unknown
Broods: one
Larvae: 50 days as larvae
Hibernation: Pupae hibernate
- They took 40- 41 days to emerge from the date they were taken out of hibernation.
Host Plant
Quercus gambelii - Common names used are Gambel oak, scrub oak,  Rocky Mountain
white oak and Utah white oak

 
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