DISTRIBUTION:

Copaxa lavenderoguatemalensis (wingspan: males: 114mm; females: mm // forewing length: males: 58-60m; females: ) flies in
Guatemala: Alta Verapaz, at elevations around 2460m.

Copaxa lavendera/lavenderoguatemalensis male, Miramundo, Santa Rosa, Guatemala,
April 2008, 2405m, courtesy of Jose Monzon.

Copaxa lavendera/lavenderoguatemalensis female, Miramundo, Santa Rosa, Guatemala,
April 2008, 2405m, courtesy of Jose Monzon.

This species is extremely similar to Copaxa lavendera, but the am line of lavenderoguatemalensis is dark black and angulate while in lavendera the same line is paler and straighter. The distance from the interesection of the pm line with the inner margin is greater from tha anal angle in lavenderoguatemalensis than in lavendera. The forewing ocellus is larger and more round in lavenderoguatemalensis than in lavendera where the hyaline area is more elliptical.

I had originally identified the images on this page as Copaxa lavendera before the descriptions of new, similar taxa were published in 2010.

Copaxa lavendera/lavenderoguatemalensis female, Finca Farmeza, Guatemala, June, 2006,
wingspan: 110mm, courtesy/copyright Charles Bordelon and Ed Knudson.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Copaxa lavenderoguatemalensis larvae probably feed upon avocado (Persea americana).

Most of the Copaxa brood continuously so I suspect lavenderoguatemalensis would be on the wing every month of the year, but thus far they have only been recorded in February, April, June-July.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the anticipated foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Persea americana .......

Avocado

The species name is indicative of similarity to Copaxa lavendera and a specimen type locale in Baja Verapaz, Guatemala.

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Copaxa lavenderoguatemalensis male, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala.
on my home computer only.