Salassa thespis
Updated as per Moths of Thailand, Volume One, Saturniidae, Pinratana and Lampe, March 5, 2009
Updated as per personal communication with Dave Rolfe (Quianyaun Village Lushan County, Sichuan, China, June-July 2008), March 2009

Salassa thespis
(Leech, 1890)

Salassa thespis Chiang Mai, Thailand, courtesy of John Moore.

Original restored by Bill Oehlke

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

MIDI MUSIC

"Moon River"
copyright C. Odenkirk
MIDI CITY

ON.OFF
<bgsound src="moon.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Salassa thespis (wingspan: males: 121-139mm; females: 128-140mm) flies in
Thailand: Chiang Mai; Burma= Myanmar ??;
Laos
and China: Xizang, Sichuan, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Fujian, Hubei and probably Jiangxi.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This moth flies from April until September in Thailand.

Dave Rolfe reports a June-July flight in Sichuan, China.

Franz Renner reports larvae eat Rhamnus and Prunus species.

Salassa thespis male.

Salassa thespis, male, Yunnan, China, Eric van Schayck

Salassa thespis female, Changmai, N.Thailand, 2002, courtesy of Shin-Ichi Ohshima

Salassa thespis female, Thailand,
September 17, 2010, courtesy of John Moore.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Salassa thespis female.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Larvae are covered with spine-bearing warts and spin loose cocoons near the ground amongst loose debris.

Salassa thespis, fifth instar, North-West Yunnan, Gongshan, Kongmu, 4500m
VI-2005, leg Yin et al, courtesy of Franz and Julian Renner.

Salassa thespis, fifth instar, North-West Yunnan, Gongshan, Kongmu, 4500m
VI-2005, leg Yin et al, courtesy of Franz and Julian Renner.

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.

Prunus (FR)
Rhamnus ....... (FR)

Cherry
Buckthorn

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Salassa thespis Chiang Mai, Thailand, courtesy of John Moore.


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