Saturnia pavoniella is a moth of the family Saturniidae. It is found in the alpine regions of Austria, Italy (including Sicily) and the Czech Republic across south-eastern Europe to northern Turkey and the Caucasus. It is possibly also present in south-eastern France.

Saturnia pavoniella
Male from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Saturniidae
Genus: Saturnia
Species:
S. pavoniella
Binomial name
Saturnia pavoniella
(Scopoli, 1763)
Synonyms
  • Phalaena pavoniella Scopoli, 1763
  • Saturnia carpini var. ligurica Weismann, 1876
  • Saturnia pavonia var. meridionalis Calberla, 1887
  • Saturnia ligurica ssp. donauensis Seyer, 1991.
  • Saturnia ligurica ssp. melichi Seyer, 1991
Range in Europe

The wingspan is 45–70 mm (1.8–2.8 in) for males and 50–95 mm (2.0–3.7 in) for females. Adults are on wing from February to June. In northern Greece they are mainly found in May.

The larvae feed on a wide variety of plants. Recorded foodplants include Rubus, Prunus spinosa, Crataegus, Quercus, Carpinus, Betula, Salix, Erica, Vaccinium, Spiraea, Filipendula, Lythrum, Potentilla, Rosa, Malus, Pyrus, Calluna and Hippophae. In northern Greece the preferred hosts are Rubus ulmifolius and Pyrus amygdaliformis.

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