DISTRIBUTION:

Antheraea diehli (approximate wingspan: males: 127-137mm; females: 127-148mm; forewing length: males: females: 85-98mm) flies in lowland rainforests 9up to 1100m) in
Brunei: Rampayoh (101m); Temburong (125m);
Borneo;
Sumatra and
Peninsular Malaysia: Kampong Sahum (198m), Perak.

It was originally described from a specimen taken in Sungei Dareh, E. Padang, 700m, Padangsche Bovenlanden, Sumatra Island, Indonesia. It is also reported in Sabah (state in eastern Malaysia) and Kalimantan (formerly known as Borneo).

In both males and females the medial fascia (line) of the hindwing is associated with the ocellus (eyespot) rather than being separated from it as in A. borneensis. Male A. diehli have yellow, orange and pale brownish-grey forms.

Antheraea diehli male, Temburong, eastern Brunei,
February 22, 1982, 300m, T. W. Harman, courtesy of Dave Rolfe.

Brunei is a country located on the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea it is completely surrounded by the state of Sarawak, East Malaysia.

Kalimantan is the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. It occupies the central and southern regions of the island. Kalimantan is bordered to the north by the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah.

This species is probably limited to lowland rainforests.

Antheraea diehli male, wingspan: 134mm, Rampayoh, Nr. Labi, Brunei, 30m,
March 3, 1982, T. W. Harman, courtesy of Dave Rolfe.

Antheraea diehli female, wingspan: 148mm, Kalimantan, courtesy of Dave Rolfe.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Dave Rolfe confirms a February-March flight. It has also been taken in August. There are probably multiple broods.

Antheraea diehli female, Danum Valley Field Centre, Sabah, Borneo,
December 5, 2007, courtesy of Rob and Stephanie Levy, id by Bill Oehlke.

Antheraea diehli female; probably not, as A. diehli females are without faint orange postmedial band
This female is more likely Antheraea borneensis.

Additional differences between A. diehli and A. borneensis:

diehli forewing am line is purplish black; borneensis fw am line is pink-red;
female diehli hindwing am line ends above ocellus; female borneensis hindwing am line circles ocellus, thin and undulating below ocellus;
dark pm (all wings) lines outwardly traced with whitish-violet in diehli; dark pm lines outwardly traced with broader pink in borneensis.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use highly developed antennae to detect female scent which is distributed into the wind. Males fly into the wind in a zigzag pattern to detect the pheromone and subsequently locate the female.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

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.

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