DISTRIBUTION:

Automeris adusta flies in Mexico: Puebla: Tuhuacan; Morelos; State of Mexico.

Lemaire examined Hoffmann's specimens and could not find suficient, consistent characters to recognize them as distinct from Automeris maeonia, and adusta was at one time recognized as a subspecies of Automeris maeonia. However, Brechlin & Meister, 2011, have elevated this moth to full species status as Automeris adusta.

In A. adusta the hindwing median area shows a great reduction in yellow scaling. Only the unpper half of the median band is inwardly lined with a relatively this yellow band, the hindwng ocellus is relatively small, and the bulk, if not all, of the median area is devoid of rosy scales. The forewing pm line makes a noticeable downward turn as it nears the inner margin, and this line seems straighter, less concave than in A. maeonia. The am line also turns inward considerably more as it nears the inner margin in adusta than in maeonia.

Visit comparison chart to help distinguish between maeonia, adusta, wenczeli, nogueiria and frankae.

Automeris adusta male, Mexico,
courtesy of esperanza insects.

The image of the male directly above has some characters of A. adusta and some of A. maeonia.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing in May-June and August.

Automeris maeonia "adusta" larvae feed on willows and oaks.

Automeris adusta female, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico,
on my home computer only.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen. Males use highly developed antennae to track the airbourne pheromone to locate the females.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in large clusters and larvae are highly gregarious.

Urticating spines offer the Automeris adusta larvae much protection.

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....... Salix

Oak Willow

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