Bug FAQSpeckled Emperor
Gynanisa maja · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Saturniidae
Source: Wikipedia
The speckled emperor moth has a wingspan of about 105 to 113 mm. Adults fly from late December through early February. Caterpillars eat a wide range of trees and shrubs such as Acacia, Quercus and others, which can harm those plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Gynanisa maja, called the speckled emperor, belongs to the Saturniidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures between 105 and 113 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs from South Africa across eastern Africa up to Angola and Zambia.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on many plants including Acacia species, Berlinia paniculata, Brachystegia venosa, various legumes, Colophospermum mopane, Elephantorrhiza burchelli, Julbernardia, Laburnum, Peltophorum, peach, Pterocarpus, several oaks, black locust and Schotia.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Early-instar caterpillars live together in groups.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from late December to early February.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range stretches from South Africa to eastern Africa, reaching Angola and Zambia.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Gynanisa nigra is a darker form of the speckled emperor and is not a separate species.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What trees do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on many trees and shrubs such as Acacia, oak, black locust and others.
Source: Wikipedia
When are adult speckled emperors active?
Adults fly from late December through early February.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell the speckled emperor apart from similar moths?
Gynanisa nigra looks like a darker version of the speckled emperor but is not a distinct species.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Saturniidae)
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Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynanisa_maja
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.