DISTRIBUTION: Saturnia (Rinaca) ngoclinhensis (wingspan: males apprx. 145mm; females: 145-150mm // mfwl: 74-80mm; ffwl: 77mm), is native to southern Vietnam: Kon Tum: Ngoc Linh; July 2015, HT; same location April, June and August, all at elevations around 1700m. "Ground colour dark purplish to blackish grey, with typical pattern elements of S. (R.) lesoudieri Le Moult, 1933, such as a dark brown antemedian area, light grey median area, and again darker greyish to olive brown postmedian area in the fw, and huge intense pink portion in the Hw. "The Fw. ocellus concave, with broad basal purple line, of 10 mm maximum diameter. Postmedian area of the Fw. very narrow in the central part. The black patch of the Fw. ocellus very prominent. "Hw. intensively coloured, upper pink portion very prominent. Parts around the abdominal margin very dark, Hw. ocellus large, dark, purple scales suffused with white and olive brown, zigzag lines of the upperside almost absent. Head, thorax and proximal three segments of the abdomen blackish purple, separated from each other by a broad band of yellowish white hair, the first three abdominal segments also intersegmental with white tufts, posterior part of the abdomen in pinkish grey with dark purple tufts on laterodorsal side. Ventral side of thorax and abdomen purple, legs olive brown.7" Saturnia (Rinaca) ngoclinhensis HT male (verso), Ngoc Linh, Kon Tum, Vietnam, 145mm, July 2015, courtesy of Stefan Naumann "S. (R.) ngoclinhensis. in general resembles very much the pattern of its nearest relative, S. (R.) lesoudieri from Northern Vietnam, Northern Laos, PR China, Northern Thailand, and Myanmar, but differs in both sexes from that species by its more intense and darker colours, the slightly larger size of the Fw. and Hw. ocellus, the more narrow Fw. postmedian area and details in ? genitalia morphology; it is well defined by its COI barcode and geographically well isolated in the mountain chain of Ngoc Linh in South Central Vietnam. "More easily it can be separated by the smaller subhimalayan taxon S. (R.) zuleika Hope, 1843 by its indented, concave Hw. ocellus, as shown e.g. in the revisional work by Naumann & Nässig (2010b). Astonishingly this subhimalayan taxon has more similar ? genitalia structures than the superficially so similar S. (R.) lesoudieri." FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS: Saturnia (Rinaca) thibetomima fly in April, June-July-August, suggesting at least two annual broods. There may or may not be additional flight months. Saturnia (Rinaca) ngoclinhensis AT female, Ngoc Linh, Kon Tum, Vietnam, 140mm, June 2015, 1700m, courtesy of Stefan Naumann ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING: Saturnia (Rinaca) ngoclinhensis AT female (verso), Ngoc Linh, Kon Tum, Vietnam, 140mm, June 2015, 1700m, courtesy of Stefan Naumann EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE: The species name "ngoclinhensis" is indicative of a specimen type locality in Ngoc Linh, Vietnam. Larval Food Plants It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the anticipated foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile. Betula Betula pendula Carya Castanea sativa Crataegus oxyacantha..... Juglans regia Padus racemosa Prunus domestica Pyrus communis Pyrus malus Quercus Salix caprea Salix fragilis Salix babylonica Birch Silver/Warty/European Weeping Birch Hickory Sweet chestnut English hawthorn English walnut Bird Cherry, cyanide warning Plum Pear Apple Oak Goat Willow, Weeping willow Crack willow Weeping willow Return to Main Saturniidae Index Return to Rinaca subgenus Support this website and visit other insect sites by clicking flashing butterfly links to left or right. Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page.