Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Graellsia isabellae

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Kingdom
  
Order
  
Genus
  
GraellsiaGrote, 1896

Higher classification
  
Graellsia

Phylum
  
Family
  
Scientific name
  
Graellsia isabellae

Rank
  
Species

Graellsia isabellae Graellsia isabellae female by JYM on DeviantArt

Similar
  
Butterflies and moths, Insect, Actias, Royal moths, Luna Moth

Graellsia isabellae caterpillars spanish moon moth


The Spanish moon moth (Graellsia isabellae) is a moth of the silkmoth family Saturniidae.

Contents

Graellsia isabellae fresh and old ones


Range

The moth is native to Spain and France.

Graellsia isabellae Graellsia isabellaemale Daniel Morel Flickr

At the end of April and beginning of May the moth begins to hatch after overwintering in the cocoon. Normally moths from the same line don't copulate, so it is the condition that different lines are in a not too wide range. After copulation the female lays about 100 to 150 eggs on the favoured foodplant, pines. The larva hatch after 1 to 1.5 weeks and begin to eat from the very hard pine needles. It takes about 1.5 month to see the last instar of the caterpillars. In the last instar the caterpillars go down from the tree to pupate under leaves on the ground. In this phase the pupae in the cocoon overwinters until next springtime.

Host plants

Graellsia isabellae Graellsia isabellae

This moth primarily eats the needles of pine trees (Pinus). It appears to have difficulty adopting non-native pine species as a host even within the Pinus genus.

Graellsia isabellae tpittawaytripodcomsilkgisaa1jpg

References

Graellsia isabellae Wikipedia


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