Small emperor moth

Saturnia pavonia

1. Identification

• Common name: Small emperor moth; Small night peacock
• Scientific name: Saturnia pavonia L.
• Order: Lepidoptera
• Family: Saturniidae

2. Pest description

• Caterpillars initially dark, turning green with black rings and bluish or yellowish tubercles; robust, hairy body.
• Adults with broad wings, displaying well-defined eyespots on all wings; females larger and more robust than males.
• Males with highly developed feathery antennae, used to detect pheromones.
• Species generally associated with natural habitats, occasionally occurring in orchards or adjacent agricultural areas.
• Folivorous larval feeding, but rarely causes significant economic damage.

3. Main hosts

• Rosaceae (stone fruits, apple, pear).
• Rubus spp.
• Salix spp..
• Betula spp..
• Various spontaneous shrub and tree species.

4. Symptoms and damage

• Leaf consumption, generally limited and localized.
• Holes and irregular notches in the leaf blade.
• Partial defoliation in cases of high larval density.
• Damage rarely relevant in an agricultural context.
• Presence of showy, easily identifiable caterpillars.

5. Biological cycle

• Eggs laid in small groups on branches or leaves.
• Caterpillars develop during spring and early summer.
• Pupation occurs in a tough cocoon, usually attached to vegetation.
• Adults emerge in late spring or early summer.
• One generation per year, typical of temperate regions.

6. Monitoring

• Direct observation of caterpillars and leaf damage.
• Searching for cocoons on branches and shrub vegetation.
• Visual detection of adults during the flight period.
• Occasional monitoring with a pheromone trap in orchards near natural areas.

7. Management measures

• Cultural: removal of branches with cocoons when necessary; maintenance of ecological balance.
• Preventive: surveillance in orchards adjacent to wild areas.
• Biological: preservation of natural predators and parasitic insects.
• Integrated Protection: rarely necessary; chemical interventions are not recommended due to the low economic impact of the species.

Bibliographic references

• EPPO Global Database – Saturnia pavonia.
• CABI – Invasive Species Compendium – Saturnia pavonia.
• Carter, D. J. (1984). Pest Lepidoptera of Europe. Dr. W. Junk Publishers.
• Chinery, M. (1993). Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe. HarperCollins.