Salassa shuyiae
Updated as per personal communication with Weiwei Zhang (shuyiae, Hainan, China), December, 2008
Updated as per Entomo-Satsphingia 2 (1): 33 – 35 (März 2009), (lemaii, lemaii chiangmaiensis, shuyiae), Ron Brechlin, July 2009

Salassa shuyiae
Zhang, W., & Kohll, S. (2008)

Salassa shuyiae male, Hainan, China, courtesy of Weiwei Zhang.

Superfamily: Bombycoidea Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Salassinae Michener, 1949
Genus: Salassa Moore, 1859

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DISTRIBUTION:

Salassa shuyiae (wingspan: males: 182mm; females: 153mm) flies in China: Hainan: Ledong County: Mt. Jianfengling at elevation of 1050m.

This species and Salassa lemaii are the only known species with large greenish hyaline spots on all wings. The ocelli of shuyiae are smaller than those of lemaii, and the fenestrae on the pm lines are also smaller in shuyiae. Shuyiae also tends to have less dense yellow scaling than is found in lemaii.

Salassa lemaii lemaii, S. lemaii chiangmainesis, and Salassa shuyiae are the only known Salassa species with large greenish hyaline spots on all wings.

The ocelli of subspecies S. lemaii chiangmaiensis are the largest, while those of nominate lemaii are larger than those of shuyiae, and the fenestrae on the pm lines are also larger in lemaii as conmpared to shuyiae.

Lemaii also tends to have denser yellow scaling than is found in shuyiae.

Salassa lemaii chiangmaiensis females have forewing lengths ranging from 100-105mm, translating to wingspans of 178-181mm.
Salassa lemaii lemaii females have forewing lengths ranging from 90-97mmmm, translating to wingspans of roughly 161-175mm.
Salassa shuyiae females have forewing lengths ranging from 85.5mm, translating to wingspans of roughly 154mm.

The forewing ocelli in Salassa lemaii chiangmaiensis can measure 20mm x 11mm.
The forewing ocelli in Salassa lemaii lemaii can measure 14mm x 8.5mm.
The forewing ocelli in Salassa shuyiae can measure 9.9mm x 7.1mm.

Ron Brechlin reports a male S. shuyiae with ocelli of 12.5 x 8mm.

On the hindwings the oval ocelli of Salassa lemaii chiangmaiensis can measure 16 x 13.2mm.
On the hindwings the round ocelli of Salassa lemaii chiangmaiensis can measure 10 x 10.5mm.
On the hindwings the roundish ocelli of Salassa shuyiae can measure 8.75 x 7.75mm.

Ron Brechlin reports a male S. shuyiae with hindwing ocelli of 10 x 10 mm.

Males show a similar pattern in regard to size with forewing lengths of 104 und 105mm in S. l. chiangmaiensis; lengths of 92-94mm S. l. chiangmaiensis; and lengths of 86-89mm in S. shuyiae. Occasionally there can be a very large male.

The forewing and hindwing ocelli in males are also largest in chiangmaiensis and smallest in shuyiae:

Forewings: S. l. chiangmaiensis 16 x 9 mm, S. l. lemaii 11-12.5 x 7.7-8.5mm, S. shuyiae 6-8, 5 x 5-5.5 mm;
hindwings: S. l. chiangmaiensis 12,5 x 11mm, S. l. lemaii 7.5-9.,5 x 9-9.5mm, S. shuyiae 6.5-8 x 7-8 mm.

With such a great distance between the known specimens in Vietnam and Laos, more examination needs to be done to see if those populations represent the same species or different species.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This species is on the wing in December. Foodplants are as yet unknown.

Salassa shuyiae female, Hainan, China, courtesy of Weiwei Zhang,
first time female is depicted on WLSS.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

This species is named after Weiwei Zhang's daughter, Shuyi.

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.

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Salassa lemai chiangmaiensis 2009