DISTRIBUTION:

Nudaurelia krucki flies in Tanzania and in Kitale City, in Cherangani and in Nairobi, Kenya.

Simona Gosi and Diego Poli have sent me a series of beautiful images of Nudaurelia krucki females, eggs, all instars and pupae. The livestock Simona and Diego received is from Kenya. Simona and Diego reared healthy stock on Quercus petraea (Sessile Oak, Cornish Oak, Durmast Oak), a new hostplant for this species. Wayne Whaley earlier reported that larvae would not accept the oak he offered, so maybe they are fussy eaters or a different oak species was offered.

I believe the most recent nomenclature change places this species in the Montanaurelia genus.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Nudaurelia krucki larvae feed on Eucalyptus citriodora, Lemon-scented Gum, and on Eucalyptus tereticornis, Forest Red Gum.

Jurgen Vanhoudt reports success rearing this species on Prunus serotina, P. laurocerasus and Prunus lusitanica.

Visit Gonimbrasia (Nudaurelia) krucki images (male, female and larva), courtesy of Kirby Wolfe, via eggs from Nairobi, Kenya, courtesy of Wayne Whaley.

Kirby has reared them successfully on Malosma laurina/Rhus laurina Laurel Sumac, and Wayne Whaley has reared them successfully on Rhus trilobata Squaw Bush.

Wayne Whaley observes, "The Rhus trilobata produced healthy large adults. There are two common names used for this plant, depending upon your region of the country. Here in the Intermountain west (Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah) it is called Squaw bush, but elsewhere in the west it frequently goes by Skunkbush Sumac (why I don't know as it does not smell bad at all). Both common names are listed on the web."

Visit Gonimbrasia (Nudaurelia) krucki image (male with extra red on hindwings), courtesy of Chris Conlan, via eggs from Nairobi, Kenya, courtesy of Wayne Whaley.

There are probably spring and fall flights.

However, Wayne Whaley writes, "You mention Spring and Fall broods. By my experience in Nairobi (finding mature wandering and digging in soil fifth instars), and from rearings at home, I would say a flight must have taken place in Nairobi around late November/early December. It takes around 19 to 21 days for eggs to hatch at around 75 to 80 degrees, followed by ca. 30 days to pupation and another month for eclosion. I say there could possible be three broods in Kenya. I am writing these dates from memory as my lab notebook is not with me.

"From the eleven adults that eclosed in late July/early August (the outcome from the mating last March), a sibling mating took place which I did not observe. It produced fertile eggs and another brood of over 100 caterpillars (hatched 21, 22, 23 August)."

Often the flight dates for adult moths in tropical regions are heavily influenced by wet and dry seasons.

Nudaurelia krucki male, March 2007, Nairobi, Kenya,
courtesy of Wayne Whaley, confirmed by Thierry Bouyer.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Eclosion is from underground pupae.

Both sexes fly at night with the males coming in to lights around midnight, the scenting time of the females.

Nudaurelia krucki pair, March 29-30, 2007, courtesy of Wayne Whaley

Wayne obtained 221 eggs from the female. She and the male remained coupled for 2.5 days. That is a long time. I doubt that it is typical.

Eggs were distributed to a number of experienced breeders in hopes of greater rearing success.

Nudaurelia krucki male, Nairobi, Kenya, courtesy of Wayne Whaley.

Nudaurelia krucki male, Nairobi, Kenya, courtesy of Wayne Whaley.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Wayne Whaley reports that first instar larvae are orange and are initially accepting Rhus trilobata as a foodplant.

Nudaurelia krucki, April 30, 2007, four days old on Rhus trilobata, courtesy of Wayne Whaley.

Visit Nudaurelia krucki first, second, third and fourth instar larvae, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Wayne writes, "Some larvae are also accepting Laurel Sumac and Apricot. The larvae in the photo above are now one cm long (4/29/07) and have grown since hatching on 4/26/07. They stick together like Hemileuca cats, so I suspect that G. krucki females lay eggs in batches instead of scattering them over broad areas. In fact when I found the mature 5th instars on Eucalyptus in Nairobi, Kenya there were dozens on the same tree. Mine are feeding voraciously on Squaw bush (Rhus trilobata). They would not touch, oak, willow or cherry." On May 14, 2007, Dr. Whaley writes, "I have attached two photos of third instars of G. krucki from Nairobi, Kenya, that are now 34 mm long and growing fast. They seem to be very hardy critters. I took these photos last evening (13 May). They are feeding on Rhus trilobata (Squaw bush), same as before. As you can see they are quite colorful." Nudaurelia krucki, May 13, 2007, third instar, seventeen days old on Rhus trilobata, courtesy of Wayne Whaley.

Nudaurelia krucki, May 13, 2007, seventeen days old on Rhus trilobata,
courtesy of Wayne Whaley.

On May 18, Dr. Whaley writes, "Fourth instar larvae are now two inches long (5 cm +) and are feeding voraciously on the Rhus trilobata.

Nudaurelia krucki, May 18, 2007, twenty-two days old on Rhus trilobata,
courtesy of Wayne Whaley.

Nudaurelia krucki, May 18, 2007, twenty-two days old on Rhus trilobata,
courtesy of Wayne Whaley.

Larvae pupate under soil near base of trees.

Nudaurelia krucki fifth instar larvae, March 2007, Nairobi, Kenya, courtesy of Wayne Whaley.

Larvae depicted above were feeding on Forest Red Gum, Eucalyptus tereticornis.

Nudaurelia krucki fifth instar, May 30, 2007, courtesy of Wayne Whaley.

Dr. Whaley writes, "Attached are two photos of my now very large Gonimbrasia (Nudaurelia) krucki. Some of these are now 4 1/4 inches (10.5 cm) long. I suspect those will turn out to be the females.

"All are close to, at, or are over 4 inches. They are like slightly small "hot dogs", but just a little too spiny to eat. They are tough critters and have very powerful grasping pro-legs (very obvious when one grabs the little finger with its last set of prolegs).

"Their frass is large, about the size of the average pea. They eat night and day and constantly. I hardly ever see one resting (not eating) and they convert plant to animal biomass very efficiently.

"The one on the blue background is 4 1/4 inches long as it is stretched out while crawling along a branch of Rhus trilobata.

"I cannot imagine these getting much larger as they are about the size of those I found crawling along the ground under the Eucalyptus tree in Nairobi, Kenya back in late January."

Nudaurelia krucki fifth instar, May 30, 2007, courtesy of Wayne Whaley.

Nudaurelia krucki pupae, Kenya, courtesy of Alan Marson.

Larval Food Plants

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Eucalyptus citriodora Eucalyptus tereticornis Prunus armeniaca Prunus laurocerasus (JV) Prunus lusitanica (JV) Prunus serotina (JV) Quercus (DP) Malosma laurina/Rhus laurina ....... Rhus trilobata

Lemon-scented Gum Forest Red Gum Apricot Cherry Laurel Portugal Laurel Wild Black Cherry Sessile Oak, Cornish Oak, Durmast Oak Laurel Sumac Squaw Bush/Skunkbush Sumac

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