DISTRIBUTION:

Automeris paracelata (wingspan: males: 30-32mm; females: 38-41mm) flies in
Costa Rica: Puntarenas: Coto Brus, 8.73333, -82.95, 2001-12-24;
Costa Rica: Coto Brus: Agua Bueno, 2001-01-07;
Costa Rica: San Vito, Sabalito, 2008-06-01.

Automeris celata ? male, El Castillo, near Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna, Alejuela, Costa Rica, September 1, 2011,
courtesy of Glenn Baines, via Nigel Venters, outside/slim chance this could be A. montezuma or A. pallidior (WO).

I now think the male from Alejuela may be the recently (2011) described Automeris paracelata due to reduced yellow-orange suffusion in the median area, but it may be celata.

In his Hemileucinae 2002 Lemaire recognizes four species in the Automeris montezuma Species Group 7:

Automeris montezuma HT Mexico: Jalisco; mfwl: 29-32mm (28); ground colour grey with darker basal area, and silvery suffusion in median area; strong presence of yellow gold at vein pm line junctures, at apices of cell mark and along outer edge of am line
Automeris celata HT Costa Rica: Cartago; mfwl: 30-35mm (5); ground colour: yellow-grey-brown with heavier grey suffusion in basal area; fw pm line: inwardly highlighted by diffuse narrow band of lighter-yellow scales with continuous suffusion of yellow into the median area; pm line relatively thin, almost concolorous with subterminal area; outer margin slightly convex
Automeris escalantei HT Mexico: Chiapas; 32-35mm (12) uniform, dark grey-brown ground colour, lower 3/4 of forewing outer margin is quite convex
Automeris pallidior HT Guatemala: Baja Verapaz or Costa Rica; mfwl: 26-30mm (15).

Lemaire indicates additional range data (countries) for the four species listed above. Some of that data, other than Holotype may apply to the newer species listed below that were not recognized by Lemaire as distinct. The number in parentheses indicates the sample size. Forewing length and range may change considerably as more specimens are sampled.

In Entomo Satsphingia, Jahrgang 4 Heft 1 23 03 2011 by Brechlin and Meister, those authors add nine species to the Automeris montezuma Species Group 7:

Automeris juarezia HT Mexico: Oaxaca; 900-1050m; mfwl: 35-36 (8) uniform, dark grey-brown ground colour; concave, broadly preapical pm line; pointed, slightly produced apex
Automeris altapazia HT Guatemala: Alta Verapaz; 1200m; mfwl: 37mm (1); specimen in Lemaire 2002, Plate 60: 10 is A. altapazia
Automeris wernermeisteri HT Mexico: Oaxaca; 1023-1530m; mfwl: 32-33mm (12); pale ground colour; thick, dark pm line very concave; very small hw ocellus; hw median band divides wing into inner 2/3 and outer 1/3; similar to A. pallidior
Automeris managuana HT Nicaragua: Managua; 865m; mfwl: 30mm (1); lighter median area, contrasting om area,; lines outlined in lighter scales on facing sides
Automeris jinotega HT Nicaragua: Jinotega; 1185-1280m; mfwl: 27-30mm (7)
Automeris paracelata HT Costa Rica: Puntarenas; 900m; mfwl: 30-32 (5); very similar to A. celata, but more distinct fw pm line; less suffusion of orange-yellow in median area
Automeris choco HT Colombia: Choco; 1500m; mfwl: 28mm (1); evenly dark brown; slightly convex pm line, subparallel to slightly convex outer margin
Automeris stumpei HT Costa Rica: Limon; 1430m; mfwl: 34mm (1) almost straight pm line, subparallel to outer margin; fw: almost uniform light brown ground colour; hindwing ocellus with tiny white pupil
Automeris knorkeorum HT Mexico: Oaxaca; 677-1023m; mfwl: 30-32mm (5); fw: light coloured, bright; fw pm line slightly concave; small hindwing ocellus; hw median band divides hw in half.

Brechlin & Meister provide no additional range data beyond type locations for the newly described species in this group. Perhaps the new species are very limited in their ranges, but more likely ranges are more extensive and it is also quite possible that a number of species are sympatric. It would be a mistake to determine species strictly by stated location for the type specimens.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in Costa Rica in December-January and June-July at elevations of 900-1000m.

Host plants are unknown.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

Automeris paracelata/celata? female, Costa Rica, courtesty of Eric van Schayck.

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.

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The species name is indicative to great similarity to Automeris celata.