Saturnia (Rinaca) thibetomima
Updated as per Nachr. entomol. Ver. Apollo, N. F. 38 (4): 169–180 (2017); courtesy of Stefan Naumann; December 22, 2018

Saturnia (Rinaca) thibetomima
Naumann, Naessig, Loeffler, 2017

Saturnia (Rinaca) thibetomima HT male, Bato Mtn., Quang Ngai, Vietnam,
133mm, 1200m, November 2014, courtesy of Stefan Naumann

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Saturniinae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Tribe: Saturniini, Boisduval, 1837
Genus: Caligula, Moore, 1862
Genus: Saturnia Schrank, 1802
Subgenus: Rinaca Walker, 1855

DISTRIBUTION:

Saturnia (Rinaca) thibetomima (wingspan: males apprx. 133 mm; females: mm // mfwl: 62-69mm; ffwl: ), is native to southern and central Vietnam: Quang Ngai: Bato Mt., 950-1200m HT; Da Nang: Hoa Vang: Ba Na Mtn., 1450m; Lam Dong: Da Lat, November 2013.

"Ground colour whitish ochreous brown, with several shades of grey, with all typical pattern elements of the complex of S. (R.) thibeta, such as dark antemedian line, several zigzag lines in median and postmedian areas of Fw. and Hw., and purplish pink basal part of the upper Hw. Fw. antemedian line almost straight, of purplish colour; median area in costal half greyish, with ovoid Fw. ocellus; postmedian area reddish brown, Fw. apex rounded and prominent, the costal apical black patch large. Hw. ornamentation of intense purplish pink colour, central Hw. ocellus almost rounded; postmedian area intensively speckled reddish brown."

"The new species differs from the subhimalayan populations, e.g. from northern Vietnam, by its little smaller size in general, the more slender Fw. apex (in ??) with prominent black patch, the more intense colouration (especially the upper Hw. pink parts and ventral Fw. and Hw. postmedian areas), and more ovoid shaped Fw. and Hw. ocelli."

Saturnia (Rinaca) thibetomima HT male (verso), Bato Mtn., Quang Ngai, Vietnam,
133mm, November 2014, courtesy of Stefan Naumann

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Saturnia (Rinaca) thibetomima fly in the fall: November-December.

There may or may not be additional flight months.

Saturnia (Rinaca) thibetomima AT female, Bato Mtn., Quang Ngai, Vietnam,
5000m, December 2015, courtesy of Stefan Naumann

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Saturnia (Rinaca) thibetomima AT female (verso), Bato Mtn., Quang Ngai, Vietnam,
5000m, December 2015, courtesy of Stefan Naumann

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

The species name "thibetomima" is indicative of the great similarity to Saturnia (Rinaca) thibeta.

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

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Return to Rinaca subgenus


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