Royal Walnut Moth/Hickory-Horned Devil (Citheronia regalis)

The most distinguishing characteristic of the Royal Walnut Moth (aka the Regal Moth) is its caterpillar, known as the Hickory Horned Devil.

As with all Saturniidae moths, the Regal does all its eating in the larva stage. The adult moth has no mouth and cannot eat. Although the larva is named the :Hickory" Horned Devil, its preferred food source is walnut. It will eat hickory and sweet gum, and a few other nut trees.

Click on any of the thumbnails to get a larger picture.

	These are second and third instar Hickory Horned Devil caterpillars feeding on sweetgum. Although their color is a rather drab brown in this stage, their horns have already grown, making for an interesting larva.
	This is a 4th instar hickory horned devil. Still mostly brown, with interesting stripes on the sides. The horns are quite prominent now.
	Here are 4th and 5th instar hickory horned devils. The 5th instar is getting the green and red coloration. Note the red color of the last set of back legs.
	These pictures were taken by Mark Lasko in New Jersey. These are by far one of the most interesting and impressive (some say just plain ugly) caterpillars.
	This is a picture of a Royal Walnut female taken by George Ward in Burlington, NJ.