Automeris dagmarae
Updated as per Witt Museum Lists
Updated as per Global Mirror System of DNA Barcoding Analysis (locations and dates of BOLD submissions), December 2011
Updated as per personal communication with Roger Ahlman (Canande, Esmeraldas, Ecuador, April 25, 2006, 400m); January 27, 2011
Updated as per CSIRO PUBLISHING: Invertebrate Systematics, 2012, 26, 478–505 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/IS12038:
"What happens to the traditional taxonomy when a wellknown tropical saturniid moth fauna is DNA barcoded?; Dan Janzen, et.al.;
Received 8 May 2012, accepted 22 September 2012, published online 19 December 2012; April 23, 2013
 Home version: Barcoding ACG Saturniidae; April 24, 2013

Automeris dagmarae
Brechlin & Meister 2011

Automeris dagmarae possibly metzli, Canande, Esmeraldas, Ecuador,
April 25, 2006, 400m, courtesy of Roger Ahlman,
id by Bill Oehlke.

TAXONOMY:

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

MIDI MUSIC

"Someone to Watch Over Me"
copyright C. Odenkirk
ON.OFF
<bgsound src="watch.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Automeris dagmarae (approximate wingspan: males: 110-134mm; females: 140-146mm) flies in
Nicaragua: Jinotega: El Gobiado, (Paratype) collected by Pierre Schmit, 2006-09-15;
Nicaragua: Jinotega; Matagalpa; Rio san Juan; Zelaya: Sulum (JMM);
Belize: Cayo;
Guatemala: Baja Verapaz: Purulha, 15.14, -90.17, collected by Rudloff, 2001-07-03;
Guatemala: Coban, 2004-11-16;
Honduras: San Pedro Sula;
Costa Rica: Heredia: Valle Central, 10.41, -83.59, collected by Rudloff, 1999-05-11;
Panama;
Colombia: Cundimarca: Mn. Guaduas, 5.1, -74.6, collected by Rudloff, 1998-08-27;
Colombia: Antioquia; Tolima;
Venezuela: Carabobo: Rancho Grande, 10.2, -67.4, collected by Viktor Sinjaev, 2010-05-11;
Venezuela: Carabobo, 10.164, -68.2333, 1997-05-15;
Venezuela: Aragua: El Encantado, 2002-08-31;
Venezuela: Carabobo, 4.164, -68.2333, 2003-06-15; and
Ecuador: Pichincha; Esmeraldas.

Automeris dagmarae female, Sulum, Zelaya, Nicaragua,
January 1996, courtesy of Jean-Michael Maes.
id and digital repair by Bill Oehlke

This species replaces A. metzli in both dry forest and rain forest in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. I do not know if it is sympatric with meztli in other areas.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken on August 27, 1998 in Mn. Guaduas, Cundimarca, Colombia. A May 11, 1999 flight has been recorded in Costa Rica, and May and September flights have been recorded in Nicaragua. This species has also been taken in Venezuela in May-June and August. This species probably broods continuously.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use their more highly developed antennae to seek out females who release an airbourne pheromone into the night sky.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters of 6-40+ on hostplant twigs. Larvae have urticating spines and are gregarious, especially in the early instars.

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.

.......


The species name dagmarae is honourific for Dagmar van Schayck.

Return to Main Index

Return to Automeris Genus

Automeris dagmarae male, Jinotega, Nicaragua,
on my home computer only.

Automeris dagmarae female, Colombia,
on my home computer only.