Loepa diehli

Loepa diehli
Brechlin 2010

Loepa diehli male, 85mm, Mt. Sanggul, Sumatra, Indonesia,
December, 1200m, courtesy of Ron Brechlin.

Loepa diehli male, 88mm, Mt. Sanggul, Sumatra, Indonesia,
December, 1200m, courtesy of Ron Brechlin.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Saturniinae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Tribe: Saturniini, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Genus: Loepa, Moore, 1860

MIDI MUSIC

"Asian Spring Blossoms"

ON.OFF
<bgsound src="AsianSpringBlossoms.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Loepa diehli (approximate wingspan: males: 85-88mm; females: ?? // forewing length: males: 50mm; females: probably larger) flies in
Indonesia: Sumatra: Mount Sanggul, 1200m.

The single male specimen with forewing length of 50mm is considerably larger than L. javanica from Sumatra (38-45mm) and Jawa (40-42mm).

The oval forewing ocellus is very large with the pm line tangential to it. The forewing outer margin is slightly concave and quite oblique, giving the forewing a thin elongate look with a rounded apex. The greyish-pink apical patch is reduced and very light in colour, offering little contrast to the yellow ground colour.

The am line is doubled with a pinkish white inside. It returns to the inner margin rather than to the body along the inner margin.

Loepa sumatrana (fw length: 40-52mm) has a more circular forewing ocellus, compared to diehli, and Loepa megacore in Sumatra is a larger moth with forewing length of 55-65mm.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

A specimen has been taken in December. I suspect this species has multiple broods. Cissus, grape and Virginia creeper would likely prove to be suitable hosts.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females call at night. Males fly into the wind and track the pheromone plume with their sophisticated antennae.

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.

The species name is honourific for Dr. Eduard W. Diehl.

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