DISTRIBUTION:

The Automeris exigua moth (forewing length: males: 54-61mm; females: 59-74mm) flies in tropical rain forest from
western Colombia: Valle and Choco, Nariono and Cundinamarca;
Ecuador: Pichincha and Canar and possibly in Bolivar, Los Rios and Chimborazo; and through
Panama: Bocas del Toro, Cocle and
Costa Rica: Cartago, San Jose, Limon (KP), Alejuela, Guanacaste, Heredia (IB) to
El Salvador: Ahuachapan and
southwestern Guatemala: possibly San Marcos and/or Escuintla.

Thus far it has been recorded at elevations from 30m to 1000m.

The greyish body and broad, carmine submarginal band and inner border have resulted in Lemaire's grouping of janus, exigua and metzli.

Automeris exigua, Limon, Costa Rica, Kelly Price.

Metzli is clearly lighter than the other two and has an elongated forewing with a straight postmedial line. Exigua has a straight postmedial line in contrast to the undulating line of janus. I have also noticed that metzli has the dark region just below the apex outside the pm line with a relatively smooth (straight) outer border, while the same region in exigua has a lower lobe projecting toward the outer margin.

The fw submarginal area of exigua also has darker scales near the outer margin while this same area in metzli is clear.

Automeris exigua male, Lita, Ecuador, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

El Salvador: August
Costa Rica: July, September
Panama: August
Colombia: January, March, April, June, July, September, October, November
Ecuador: January-February-March-April

Natural larval host remain unknown; Kirby Wolfe reports success with Malus pumila.

Automeris exigua female courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Automeris exigua male courtesy of Dan Janzen.

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 stems or blades (grasses). Larvae have urticating spines and are gregarious, especially in the early instars.

Automeris exigua larva, copyright Kirby Wolfe

Alan Marson sends the following series of all instars of Automeris exigua from Ecuador.

Alan writes, "I had about 10 larvae to start with and they accepted Buckthorn (Rhamnus carthartica). However, they gradually died one by one until I just had one fully grown larva left. In hindsight maybe another foodplant would have worked better."

Automeris exigua first instars, Ecuador, courtesy of Alan Marson.

Automeris exigua second instars, Ecuador, courtesy of Alan Marson.

Automeris exigua third instars, Ecuador, courtesy of Alan Marson.

Automeris exigua fourth instars, Ecuador, courtesy of Alan Marson.

Automeris exigua fourth instars, Ecuador, courtesy of Alan Marson.

Automeris exigua fifth instars, Ecuador, courtesy of Alan Marson.

Automeris exigua fifth instars, Ecuador, courtesy of Alan Marson.

Automeris exigua fifth instars, Ecuador, courtesy of Alan Marson.

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.

Rhamnus carthartica ....... Malus pumila Poaceae

Buckthorn (AM) Apple Grasses

Return to Automeris genus

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

Support this website and visit other insect sites by clicking flashing butterfly links to left or right.