DISTRIBUTION:

Loepa sakei flies in the Japanese Ryukyu Archipelago and is confirmed as a separate species belonging to the katinka-group of the genus.

It has been found on the main island of Amami O-Shima and on the Okinawa archipelago, Okinawa.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

I suspect this species has multiple broods. April and May have been confirmed as flight months (Hideshi Naka). Cissus, grape and Virginia creeper would likely prove to be suitable hosts. Hideshi Naka indicates L. sakaei is a defoliator of porcelain berry, and it is a near-threatened species found only on subtropical Okinawa Islands and the Amani-Oshima Island.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females call at night, starting right around midnight (Hideshi Naka). 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.

Return to Main Saturniidae Index

Return to Loepa Index

Pheromone reference on my home computer only Rhodonia fugax; Loepa sakaei pheromone study.