Male/female ratios with Saturniidae?

[Rev. Redmond Farrier]

I know with D. tityus females are a lot more readily found than males. Is the opposite true with Saturniidae moths? Last night I saw two male imperialis and one male regalis. Tonight I saw three male imperialis, one male regalis, and one male Io. Is this normal or am I experiencing a bit of an odd fluke? I came back from my sheet empty handed because I don't need any of the males that I saw tonight. I am searching for females of all of these though. I could use another male Io, but the one I saw tonight was way too worn to collect. I have yet to see a female Io.

[oehlkew]

Rev,
I believe in nature there are probably roughly equal numbers of each gender. Males of most Saturniidae species turn up much more abundantly at lights compared to females. I believe this is simply because the females
have a very strong urge to oviposit, and that, in many cases, overrides their attraction to lights. Males, on the other hand, are readily distracted by lights, and great numbers of them will turn up at lights if you have a calling female in a cage nearby.
Bill Oehlke