Emperor Moth Saturnia pavonia

Emperor moth Many thanks to Jeff Davies who kindly supplied these photos of a female Emperor Moth 
taken in May 2015 in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales.
Emperor moth While the female Emperor Moth (above) is beautiful, the male (not yet shown) is even more so, with similar eye spots but darker, more strongly-marked and with orange hind wings.
 
A large moth, the male flies by day seeking out the dormant female, which flies at night.
 
Outside the UK, the moth is sometimes called the Small Emperor Moth to differentiate from others in the Saturnia genus.
 
Wingspan: 40-60 mm; UK flight time: Apr-May.