Saturniidae, members of which are commonly named the saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species.

Adults are characterized by large, lobed wings, heavy bodies covered in hair-like scales, and reduced mouthparts.

They lack a frenulum, but the hindwings overlap the forewings to produce the effect of an unbroken wing surface.

Sexual dimorphism varies by species, but males can generally be distinguished by their larger, broader antennae.

How the pupae know when to eclose early or hibernate is not yet fully understood, though research suggests day length during the fifth larval instar plays a major role, as well as cooling temperatures.

The other caterpillars in this size range are almost universally Sphingidae, which are seldom hairy and tend to have diagonal stripes on their sides.

[2] Most larvae spin a silken cocoon in the leaves of a preferred host plant or in leaf litter on the ground, or crevices in rocks and logs.

While only moderately close relatives to the silkworm (Bombyx mori) among the Lepidoptera, the cocoons of larger saturniids can be gathered and used to make silk fabric.

Males can detect these chemical signals up to a mile away with help from sensitive receptors located on the tips of their feather-like antennae.

As such, adult behavior is devoted almost entirely to reproduction, but the end result (due to lack of feeding) is a lifespan of a week or less once emerged from the pupa[citation needed].

Mopane worm (Gonimbrasia belina), Gonimbrasia zambesina, the cabbage tree emperor moth (Bunaea alcinoe), Gynanisa maia, Imbrasia epimethea, Imbrasia oyemensis, Melanocera menippe, Microgone cana, Urota sinope and the pallid emperor moth (Cirina forda).

Thus, some of the more spectacular species – in particular Antheraea – can be raised by children or school classes as educational pets.

Thus, it is quite safe to assume – even in the absence of a comprehensive fossil record – that the first Saturniidae originated in the Neotropical region.