Large, fat-bodied moth, 3 to 7 inches in wingspan. Wings yellow to yellowish brown, variously marked and spotted with pink, orange or purple. Caterpillar comes in two forms light to dark green or orange to chocolate to black. Both forms with rows of spots on the side, funky spines on top and long stiff hairs all over.

A forest moth of the eastern US, Ontario and Quebec. Caterpillars feed on a variety of trees, including elms, hickories, honeylocust, maples, oaks, pines and walnuts, all found in Wildwood.

A distinctive moth, easily identified. The Western Imperial Moth is almost identical, but found only in the southwest.