DISTRIBUTION:

The Automeris manantlanensis moth (forewing length: males: 31-32mm; females: 35-41mm) flies in the Biosphere Reserve Sierrade Manantlán between Jalisco and Colima states in
western Mexico: Jalisco; where it is endemic to mid-elevation montane forests.

This species resembles Automeris staciae, but it has a very dark ground colour.

Here is Balcazar-Lara's description:

"Forewing: Dorsally cinnamon brown; antemedial line very faint; postmedial line dark brown, straight, continuous, reaching costa about 5-6 mm from apex; proximally underlined with tawny; submarginal band lunular, dark brown, distally under-Figs. 1-2. Automeris manantlanensis Balcázar, new sp.: 1) Holotype (forewinglength: 31 mm), dorsum. 2) Allotype (forewing length: 40 mm), dorsum.

A New Automeris from Mexico lined with tawny; discal spot dark brown, surrounded with five to seven small blackdots. Forewing ventrally clay color, with a pale pinkish area along the inner side of the wing; antemedial line absent; postmedial line clearly marked, reaches costa about 3mm from apex, black, concave; discal spot strong, black around a small white center;veins clay color turning black from the postmedial line towards the outer margin.

"Hindwing: Dorsally clay color, with a brick red to pinkish area along the inner mar-gin; postmedial line black, convex, not underlined; submarginal band cinnamon; ba-somedial area brick red to pink; costal area pale pinkish; marginal area clay; innerside clay; fringes clay; area between postmedial line and submarginal band yellowishclay; ocellus typical of the A. iogroup, black with central diffuse white spot.

"Hindwing ventrally clay color, costal area with a burnt umber narrow area with a cream line on the margin; postmedial line black, straight, not underlined; discal spot weak, a small white dot without black, black ring of dorsal ocellus not visible.

"Female Head: Mars brown; antenna shortly bidentate (rami very re-duced). Thorax: Mars brown; legs mars brown; tibiae hairy; epiphysis absent; hind tibia with one pair of apical spurs; with a single subapical spur. Abdomen: Tawny; not ringed.

"Forewing: Dorsally mars brown; antemedial line very faint; medial band gray-ish next to the postmedial line; postmedial line dark brown; proximally underlined with tawny, straight; submarginal band continuous, very wavy, dark brown, distally underlined with tawny; discal spot dark brown, surrounded with four to six small black dots.

"Forewing ventrally antique brown; antemedial line absent; postmedial line clearly marked, black, concave; discal spot very strong, black around a small white center; veins clay color turning black from the postmedial line towards the outer margin.

"Hindwing: Dorsally clay color; with a brick red to pinkish area along the inner margin; postmedial line black; submarginal band dark grayish brown; ba-somedial area brick red to pink; costal area pale pinkish; marginal area clay; innerside very pale pink; fringes cinnamon rufous; area between postmedial line and sub-marginal band clay; ocellus typical of the A. io group, black with central diffuse white spot.

"Hindwing ventrally antique brown; costal area burnt umber with a cream line on the margin; postmedial line black, straight; discal spot weak, a small white dot without black, black ring of dorsal ocellus visible; veins clay color turning black from the postmedial line towards the outer margin.

"ETYMOLOGY.—The name of this species refers to the region of Manantlán. A. manantlanensisis known only from the Manantlán Reserve at moderate elevation (1450 m) in a Quercus resinosa forest. FLIGHT PERIOD.—The type specimens were collected in June in 1995 and 1996.

VARIATION.—Almost no variation was observed among the type series; while 6 females are 40-41 mm in forewing length, one is smaller (35 mm); one male has a pale yellowish cast.

"DISCUSSION: This new species belongs to the A. iris subgroup within the A. io group of species as defined by Lemaire & Wolfe (1993), which presently includes five species besidesthe new one (A. iris (Walker), A. daudiana Druce, A. boudinotiana Lemaire, A. le-mairei Beutelspacher and A. stacieae Lemaire & Wolfe), distinguished from other species in the group by the continuous, instead of lunular, postmedial line of the forewing.

"A. manantlanensis is the darkest species in the group; both sexes have falcate forewings, but the pointed apex is less produced than in A. stacieae. It has a straight post-medial line on the forewings as A. lemairei, but the latter is larger and the darker specimens are light tan in the male and light brown in the female."

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Automeris manantlanensis larvae probably feed on willows and oaks.

Moths are on the wing in June.

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 manantlanensis larvae much protection.

Listed below are the primary and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae. 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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