Automeris boudinotiana
Lemaire, 1986

Automeris boudinotiana photo courtesy of Chris Conlan.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866 Tribe: Hemileucini, Grote & Robinson Genus Automeris, Hubner, [1819] Species: baudinotiana, Lemaire

MIDI MUSIC "What.A.Wonderful.World" copyright C. Odenkirk MIDI CITY ON.OFF <bgsound src="world.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Automeris boudinotiana (wingspan: males: 55-65mm; females: 72mm) flies in
northwestern Mexico: Sonora and Durango in oak forests of high elevation (2250-2600m). It probably also flies in Chihuahua and Sinaloa.

The image below, sent to me by Kelly Price, indicates a wingspan slightly (69mm) larger than that mentioned by Lemaire for A. boudinotiana, and a considerable southern range extension into Hidalgo. Sometimes recording data gets confused or is not always accurate from the actual field collector. I am surprised at a specimen from Hidalgo. However, if the Hidalgo sighting is correct, there are probalby also populations in Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, Queretaro, etc., at high elevations.

Automeris boudinotiana male, 69mm, Hidalgo, Mexico,
courtesy of Kelly Price, id by Bill Oehlke.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Adult Automeris boudinotiana are on the wing as a single brood in June and July, into early August.

Baudinotiana larvae feed upon oaks (Quercus).

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Male Automeris boudinotiana use highly developed antennae to locate mates at night by tracking the airbourne pheromone plume.

Automeris boudinotiana female, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

Baudinotiana larvae are gregarious, especially in the early instars, and are armed with urticating spines. In the laboratory, larvae, which pass through six instars, can take as long as four months to mature.

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.

Quercus.....

Oak

Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page.

Return to Mexican/Central American Automeris Genus

Goto Central American Saturniidae Directory

Goto Main Saturniidae Index