Adults will pair readily in cages, and calling females successfully attract males even on very cold nights. Both males and females come in to lights. This subspecies will pair with nominate imperialis producing fully viable adult males and females. Larvae, which become visible through eggshells just before hatching, emerge from large, bright yellow, translucent ova in approximately fourteen days. Larval spines are extremely well developed in the early instars and diminish, relative to body size, in the last two instars when larvae approach 8cm.
Coloration varies from brown to green with black banding on the sides.
Pupae have an elongated, pointed cremaster and tend to be very active. Larval Food Plants Listed below are primary food plant and possible alternate food plants listed in Tuskes, Tuttle, and Collins' The Wild Silk Moths of North America . The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.