DISTRIBUTION:

Samia canningi (wingspan: males: 100-123mm; females: 120-140mm) flies in
northern and eastern India and in
Pakistan,
southern and eastern China, and along the Himalayan Range in Pakistan, Himachal Pradesh,
Nepal,
Bhutan: W Bhutan;, 1500m, June; (Gedu, Chukha, September, 800m (SD)); Mendrelgang, Tsirang District;
Myanmar,
Cambodia,
northern Vietnam,
southern China: E Tibet, Yunnan, S Sichuan,
Thailand: Chiang Mai, Kanchanaburi and Nakhon Nayok, and
Laos.

Samia canningi male, Gedu, Chukha District, Bhutan,
September 2012, 800m, courtesy of Sonam Dorji.

The species name was chosen to honour Charles J. Canning, a governor-general of India who promoted sericulture.

Samia canningi, Chiang Mai, Thailand, courtesy of John Moore.
Original restored by Bill Oehlke

Samia canningi female, Thailand, July, 2008,
courtesy of Robert Vuattoux.

The crescents are strongly marked with yellow in the bottom half and black across the top. There are black lines on each sides of the antemedial line and the postmedial line is also lined with black on the inner side.

The postmedial line is curved with the crescents touching or pushing through between the two main curves. The pinkish white scaling outside the postmedial line does not trace the veins outwardly.

Samia canningi (male), Thailand, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Larvae feed on Ailanthus excelsa, Ailanthus altissima, Coriaria nepalensis and on Zanthoxylum alatum in the wild.

They have been reared on Lagerstroemia indica (crepemyrtle) and Tilia cordata (littleleaf linden). This species probably broods continuously. There are records from Thailand for August, September and October.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females call in the night-flying males with an airbourne pheromone released from the tip of the abdomen.

Samia canningi female, courtesy of Ulrich Paukstadt.

Samia canningi, female, courtesy of Mark Lasko, id by Stefan Naumann

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Larvae resemble those of other Samia species, being covered with a fine white powder and having fleshy protuberances. Photo courtesy of Leroy Simon.

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.

Ailanthus altissima...... Ailanthus excelsa Coriaria nepalensis Lagerstroemia indica Tilia cordata Zanthoxylum alatum

Ailanthus Tree of heaven Coriaria nepalensis Crepemyrtle Littleleaf linden Winged prickly ash

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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)

The actual hardcopy editions of Entomo-Satsphingia may be purchased via the link to the left.