Bug FAQSpeckled Emperor
Gynanisa maja · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Saturniidae
Source: Wikipedia
The speckled emperor has a wingspan of about 105 to 113 mm. Adults fly from late December through early February. It occurs from South Africa across eastern Africa to Angola and Zambia.
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 is found from South Africa eastward to Angola and Zambia.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Early-instar larvae live together in groups. The larvae feed on the same host plants listed for the species’ diet.
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 extends from South Africa through eastern Africa up to Angola and Zambia.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Gynanisa nigra is simply a darker form, not a separate species.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see adult speckled emperors?
Adults fly from late December through early February.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on a range of trees and shrubs including Acacia, oak, peach and many African forest species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the speckled emperor found?
It occurs from South Africa across eastern Africa to Angola and Zambia.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Saturniidae)
_male_..._(53391967981).jpg){kind=link}
_male_..._(53392155603).jpg){kind=link}
_caterpillar_on_mopane_twig_..._(51867253398).jpg){kind=link}
_caterpillar_eating_mopane_leaf_..._(51865841650).jpg){kind=link}
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynanisa_maja
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.