Antherea yamamai (Guérin-Méneville, 1861)

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives on oak species (Quercus sp.) and also other Fagaceae (e.g. Castanea).

Habitat:
Antherea yamamai mainly inhabits forests with oak share, but also oaks in parks and gardens.

Life cycle:
The egg overwinters placed on branches and stems. The caterpillar lives from late April to June and pupates in a yellow cocoon. The moths emerge in late summer (August to September) and are strictly nocturnal.

Remarks:
Antherea yamamai has been distributed initially only in Japan. However, it was sometimes used for silk production and has become feral in several places (e.g. north India). In Europe the moth is now found mainly in northeast Italy, southeast Austria and some areas of Ex- Yugoslavia and seems to be spreading further. It is also observed in lower Bavaria since 2001.