Antheraea helferi
Updated as per Moths of Thailand, Volume One, Saturniidae, Pinratana and Lampe, March 3, 2009
Updated as per "An annotated checklist of the Saturniidae and Brahmaeidae (Lepidoptera) of the Kingdom of Bhutan" by Ronald Brechlin
(in English) as published in Entomo-Satsphingia 2 (1): 47 – 55 (March 2009)
Updated as per personal communication with Sonam Dorji (Zhemgang, Bhutan, May 2013); May 23, 2013

Antheraea helferi
(Moore, 1859)

Antheraea helferi (female)

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Saturniinae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Tribe: Saturniini, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Genus: Antheraea, Hubner, 1819

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DISTRIBUTION:

Antheraea helferi (wingspan: males: 125-144mm; females: 143-165mm) flies in Himalaya:
Bhutan: Zhemgang;
northeastern India;
Nepal ??;
southwestern China: Xizang;
Sundaland;
Malaysia (possibly as subspecies borneenesis);
Thailand: Kanchanaburi; and
Laos. Moths of this species have a black 'eyelid' to the hindwing ocellus. Females are usually yellowish, but an occasional brown form turns up in dry seasons.

Antheraea helferi male, Zhemgang, Bhutan,
May, 2013, 1100m, courtesy of Sonam Dorji, id by Bill Oehlke.

My determination of the moth from Bhutan is based on black eyelid on hindwing ocellus, very small hyaline circles on all wings, produced and blunt forewing apex, and buff fringe inwardly lined with thin dark brown or black.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

I suspect these moths brood continuously, with diapause in the cocoon stage during the dry season. In Thailand, specimens have been taken in February. Sonam Dorji reports a May flight in Bhutan.

Larvae will probably feed on oak species.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Antheraea helferi males are dull reddish orange, and have forewings that are much more falcate than those of females.

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:

Incubation time is relatively short, as few as five days.

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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On my home computer only: notes on Saturniidae of Bhutan by Ronald Brechlin (in English) as published in Entomo-Satsphingia 2 (1): 47 – 55 (March 2009)