DISTRIBUTION:

The Antheraea sumatrana moth (wingspan 110-123mm) flies in Sumatra.

Antheraea sumatrana male, northern Sumatra,
123mm, 900m, courtesy of Dave Rolfe.

"U. Paukstadt et al. (1998a, see above) distinguished A. gschwandneri and A. sumatrana Niepelt, 1926 as two separate species, summing up to a total of 13 Antheraea species on Sumatra and adjacent smaller islands. Although there is some external difference between the rediscovered type specimens of the two taxa, we — during our research for the 1996 publication with long series of material — did not find any reliable character (neither in external morphology, which is extremely variable and, especially, shows all intermediates, nor in the male genitalia, where we did not find any constant differences as well) which appears to be clearly separating these two species. However, we appear to have only one or a very few specimens of Niepelt’s gschwandneri. Further research is necessary to assess the situation. — As long as I have personal doubt in the existance of these two taxa as separate species (because I cannot distinguish them reliably), I prefer not to list them separately. Species-specific differences in closely related groups of Antheraea populations often cannot reliably be found in external or genitalia morphology; the only reliable way to find the borderlines between species under these taxa will most likely be a biochemical study (analysis of sexual pheromones or alloenzyme electrophoresis or DNA studies or similar). — Antheraea (Antheraea) myanmarensis U. Paukstadt et al., 1998 was described from SE Burma (Myanmar) (U. Paukstadt, L.H. Paukstadt & U. Brosch, 1998b, “Antheraea (Antheraea) myanmarensis n. sp., eine neue Saturniide von Südostasien (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)”. — Entomologische Zeitschrift 108 (2): 57–64). However, there is one specimen in SMFL which from external characters evidently belongs to A. myanmarensis, collected in 1979 in northern Sumatra (Aceh, Langsa), dissection no. 545/87 W. Nässig, via coll. S. Kager in CWAN in Senckenberg; illustrated in the 1996 Sumatra fauna on Plate 2, Fig. 7. So either myanmarensis also lives on Sumatra (species no. 14 or so of the genus?), or it is no real biological species; as a third alternative, it should be assessed whether myanmarensis and gschwandneri sensu Paukstadt et al. (1998a) and Niepelt are closely related or even synonyms; a picture of the type specimen of gschwandneri in Vienna seen by me very closely resembles A. myanmarensis." Nassig Commentary. Subsequently Dr. Stefan Naumann was able to locate a specimen of A. gschwandneri in Vienna (Museum).

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Dave Rolfe reports a March flight. There are probably additional flights.

Larvae probably eat hornbeam, beech, cherry and oak species.

Quercus spp. Shorea robusta, Bombax ceiba

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.

Carpinus Fagus Prunus Quercus alba Quercus robar...

Hornbeam/Ironwood Beech Cherry White oak English oak

Antheraea sumatrana male

Antheraea sumatrana female

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