Saturniidae : Saturniinae
Great Peacock Moth
SATURNIA (Saturnia) pyri ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Great Peacock Moth
SATURNIA (Saturnia) pyri ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide - Europe
Description
Wingspan: 110 - 180mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - ( Excluding - Azores,Balearic Is.,British Is.,Canary Is.,Channel Is.,Crete,Cyprus,Denmark,Estonia,Finland,
Germany,Ireland,Latvia,Lithuania,Madeira,Malta,Norway,Sweden and Ukraine) : Middle East towards east ( Iran) : North-West Africa - Morocco and Algeria
UK Distribution: Appendix A moth based on single Hampshire sighting (see observations)
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Fruit trees and Forest trees especially around housing
Similar Species -
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This Appendix A moth is added to the British list based on a single specimen found on the A27 motorway at Swaythling in Hampshire. As a favourite moth for the home breeder this specimen could not be guaranteed to be a wild specimen and as such is given the Appendix A status.
It is Europe's largest moth usually restricted to central southern countries it was once common but is becoming rarere especially in the north.
The larva feeds on a wide varietry of fruit and forest trees,especially those growing near or in housing areas although the moth can be found up to an altitude of 2000m.
THe moth is night flying usually before midnight until daylight.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - ( Excluding - Azores,Balearic Is.,British Is.,Canary Is.,Channel Is.,Crete,Cyprus,Denmark,Estonia,Finland,
Germany,Ireland,Latvia,Lithuania,Madeira,Malta,Norway,Sweden and Ukraine) : Middle East towards east ( Iran) : North-West Africa - Morocco and Algeria
UK Distribution: Appendix A moth based on single Hampshire sighting (see observations)
UK Conservation Status -
- Vagrant/Accidental
- Least Concern
- Bombyx pyri ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
- Bombyx pyri ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
- Austria-Near Vienna
Habitat: Fruit trees and Forest trees especially around housing
Similar Species -
- None
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This Appendix A moth is added to the British list based on a single specimen found on the A27 motorway at Swaythling in Hampshire. As a favourite moth for the home breeder this specimen could not be guaranteed to be a wild specimen and as such is given the Appendix A status.
It is Europe's largest moth usually restricted to central southern countries it was once common but is becoming rarere especially in the north.
The larva feeds on a wide varietry of fruit and forest trees,especially those growing near or in housing areas although the moth can be found up to an altitude of 2000m.
THe moth is night flying usually before midnight until daylight.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website where further information like photos,physical characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Aceraceae - Maple Family
- Acer pseudoplatanus - Sycamore
- Betulaceae - The Birch Family
- Corylus avellana - Hazel
- Fagaceae - Oak : Chestnut - Beech Family
- Fagus sylvatica - Beech
- Hippocastanaceae - The Horse Chestnuts
- Aesculus hippocastanum - Horse Chestnut
- Juglandaceae - Walnut Family
- Juglans regia - Walnut
- Oleceae - Mesophytic Shrubs - Trees - Vines
- Fraxinus excelsior - Ash
- Olea europaea - Olive, African olive, European olive
- Rosaceae - Rose Family
- Amelanchier ovalis - Snowy Mespilus, Dwarf Garden Serviceberry ( C & S Europe)
- Malus pumila - Paradise Apple
- Malus sylvestris - Crab Apple
- Prunus armeniaca - Apricot
- Prunus avium - Wild Cherry
- Prunus domestica - Bullace - Plum
- Prunus dulcis - Almond
- Prunus spinosa - Blackthorn - Sloe
- Pyrus communis - Wild Pear
- Ulmaceae - Elm Family
- Ulmus procera - English Elm - Antinian Elm - Common Elm
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Betulaceae - Betula - Birch
- Cannabidaceae - Hunulus - Hop
- Fagaceae - Catanea - Chestnuts
- Oleceae - Ligustrum - Privet/Syringa - Lilac
- Platanaceae - Platanus - Plane
- Rosaceae - Cydonia - Quince
- Salicaceae - Populus - Poplar
- Tiliaceae - Tilia - Lime
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Ulmus procera - English Elm - Antinian Elm - Common Elm
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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ingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Subgenus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - SATURNIA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Subspecies: Forms: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Bombycoidea Saturniidae Saturniinae Saturniini SATURNIA Schrank, 1802 Saturnia Schrank, 1802 Saturnia (Saturnia) pyri ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) - Bombyx pyri Schiffermüller, 1775 - BOMBYX pyri ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) = Phalaena pavonia major Linnaeus, 1758 = Saturnia ilvana Tauber, 1969 = Saturnia pinkerae Kobes, 1980 - Ankündung eines systematischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend : Title Page : p.49 - n.1 - Austria-Near Vienna - S.p.ilvana Tauber, 1969 - Corsica,Sardinia,Alba - larger and darker S.p.alticola Denso, 1912 - northern Alps - smaller S.p.teherana Lének, 1970 - Iran - S.p.f.abafii Aigner-Abafi, 1906 - rare form - base of wings is whitish |