DISTRIBUTION:

Automeris maeonia (wingspan: males: 63-81mm; females: 74-88mm) flies in humid mountain forests in
Mexico: Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacan, Guerrero, Morelos, Mexico, Puebla, and possibly Veracruz at elevations of 1000-1600 m.

This species may be limited to western Mexico from Sinaloa to Guerrero. Recently 2011, Brechlin and Meister elevated A. m. adusta to full species status. I think that those species from Morelos, Mexico and Puebla and possibly Veracruz would now be classified as Automeris adusta having a much smaller hindwing ocellus, and only a thin band of yellow on the upper half of the inner edge of the hindwing median band. Specimens from Chiapas and Oaxaca are more likely Automeris frankae.

A. nogueirai has the yellow in the hindwing replaced by orange, with an overall dark appearance to the forewing and much less white or yellw assocated with the forewing lines. Another recently described species, Automeris wenczeli from southwestern Oaxaca has considerable yellow in the hindwing median area.

I note the male in the image at the top of the page has what I would consider to be a significantly more preapical forewing pm line than the male depicted in the Entomo-satsphingia journal. Perhaps the Thibaud Decaens image is of an undescribed species (Bill Oehlke).

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

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing in May-June and August. Automeris maeonia larvae feed on willows and oaks and Robinia species.

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 maeonia larvae much protection.

Automeris maeonia sixth instar, Sinaloa, Mexico,
courtesy of Viktor Suter.

Automeris maeonia seventh instar, Sinaloa, Mexico,
courtesy of Viktor Suter.

Automeris maeonia seventh instar, Sinaloa, Mexico,
courtesy of Viktor Suter.

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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