Antheraea yamamai

Japanese oak silkmoth

Description

Antheraea yamamai is an univoltine species. Adults are on the wings in the second part of the summer, from July to September. The female leys about 30 eggs individually or in small group on the twigs of the host plant. Eggs are the overwintering stage. Larvae hatch in the next spring in April or May respectively. They live individually on a host tree and consume a large amount of food until they pupate in the summer. They pupate inside of a silk cocoon, maturing into an adult moth after about two weeks. It is an Eastern Asian species, naturally occurring in Japan and East China. It has been introduced into the Europe. This is a large, attractive species and his captive breeding is very simple. Probably that is why it was and still is very popular among amateur entomologists. His cocoons are also suitable for silk production. In Europe, some bred individuals escaped into the wild and intended releases also cannot be excluded. Now this species is known from many countries of central and south eastern Europe, as from Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Romania, Germany etc. Until now, this species did not cause any significant economic losses. Some local damages were already reported.