DISTRIBUTION:

Copaxa curvilinea flies in
Costa Rica: Limon and Cartago (CL) and Alejuela, Guanacaste, Heredia and Puntarenas (IB);
and southern Nicaragua: Rio San Juan, Zelaya: Cerro Saslaya, at elevations around 600m. Jacqueline Y. Miller reports it in Honduras.

The forewing apex is very pronounced (hooked) in this species, the submarginal line is outwardly concave (curved) and the same line on the hindwing is wavy.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Copaxa curvilinea larvae feed upon Sweetwood, (Nectandra membranacea).

Lorenzo Comoglio reports them "on Aguacate (Persea americana) and Aguacatillo too. The larvae also accept Ocotea insularis."

Lorenzo reared the following female on Aguacate (Persea americana) and Aguacatillo, too.

Copaxa curvilinea female, Sector Pitilla, Santa Cecilia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica,
October 13, 2013, courtesy of Lorenzo Comoglio.

Most of the Copaxa brood continuously and curvilinea is on the wing every month of the year in Costa Rica.

Female Copaxa curvilinea, copyright protected, courtesy of Kirby Wolfe.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Male Copaxa curvilinea moths use highly developed antennae to locate females shortly after dark by tracking the airbourne pheromone plume. The female releases this scent into the night air via an organ extended from the tip of the abdomen.

Males have narrower, more falcate upper wings, and males are usually more colourful.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Larvae are gregarious in the early instars. Larvae spin silken cocoons and remind me very much of Antheraea larvae while in the final instar.

Larva Copaxa curvilinea, copyright protected, courtesy of Kirby Wolfe.

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.

Nectandra membranacea ....... Ocotea insularis (LC) Persea americana (LC) Persea caerulea (LC)

Sweetwood Sweetwood Avocado/Aguacate Aguacatillo

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