| Aglia tau | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Saturniidae |
| Genus: | Aglia |
| Species: | A. tau |
| Binomial name | |
| Aglia tau | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
| Aglia tau | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Saturniidae |
| Genus: | Aglia |
| Species: | A. tau |
| Binomial name | |
| Aglia tau | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Aglia tau, the tau emperor, is a moth of the family Saturniidae. They are also known as giant silkmoths. It is found in Europe and across Central Asia to the Pacific coast. [1] The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. Their genus, Aglia , is composed of 6 Palearctic (North European) species.
The wingspan is 60–84 mm. The moth flies from March to July with a univoltine lifecycle depending on the location.
The larvae primarily feed on European beech, but also birch, Alnus glutinosa , Salix caprea and Sorbus aucuparia . The larvae look similar to Royal Walnut Moth caterpillars Citheronia regalis in their earlier instars. They can be found in older growth forests, with a large portion of trees in the Fagaceae family. They can also be found in younger riparian forests with less Fagaceae species present.
Their life cycle is similar to any Lepidopterans , consisting of 4 stages. Eggs laid by adult females take about 3 weeks to hatch into first instar caterpillars. These grow quickly and go through 4 more instars, for 5 total. Then they pupate on the forest floor. These pupae will overwinter until March, until warmer weather comes and they start developing. Adult moths lack a mouth and only breed. The adult females lay eggs then die.
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