20
April, 2020
Emperor Moth – Saturnia pavonia
Mary Singleton was delighted to see 2 male Emperor Moths coming to her pheromone lure which she’d hung from her washing line in her Bewdley garden. She recorded them on 20th April 2020 at 3.50pm. They have also been attracted to a pheromone lure in Kidderminster. I wonder how far the scent travels?
It is thought that the ‘peacock eyes’ on the wings of the Emperor Moth are an aid to dissuade a potential predator from attack. However, this strategy does not necessarily work with Merlin. It’s noted that often a means of calculating the numbers of this small falcon has been to observe the sometimes significant numbers of discarded Emperor Moth wings at the base of the Merlin’s plucking post!
Emperor Moth – Saturnia pavonia ♂