DISTRIBUTION:

Cerodirphia speciosa (wingspan: males: 56 (ESs) 60-79mm; females: 73-87mm (87mm ESs)) flies in
Suriname (LT);
Panama: Darien; Panama: Radisson (TJ);
Venezuela: Amazonas, Monagas, Barinas, Tachira;
French Guiana: Cayenne, Saul;
Guyana: Mazaruni-Potaro;
Colombia: Caqueta;
Ecuador: Napo, Sucumbios, Pastaza, Morona-Santiago, Zamora Chinchipe and possibly Orellana;
Ecuador: Morona-Santiago: Oriente: Road Limon to Mendez, km. 22.5, -2.933, -78.391, collected by Haxaire & Herbin, 1988-08-04;
Peru: Huanuco, Pasco, Junin, Madre de Dios;
Peru: Pasco: Road from Villa Rica to Puerto Bermudez, NR5, km. 52, -10.403, -74.987, collected by J. Barbut et al., 2003-09-29;
Bolivia: Bolivia: Beni: La Paz to Rurrenabaque, km. 294, -15.392, collected by D. Herbin & Laguerre, 1998-11-25;
Bolivia: Beni: General Jose Balivian: Rurrenabaque, -14.464, -67.557, collected by Decaens, Lecourt, 1991-11-01;
Bolivia: Beni: 1 km before Yucumo, 318 km from La Paz, -15.151, -67.037, collected by Haxaire & Herbin, 1994-07-28;
Bolivia: La Paz: Iturralde: Ixiamas, -13.757, -68.145, colected by Decaens, Lecourt, 1991-11-01; and
Brazil: Amazonas (HT); Rondonia: Cacaulandia (A&FW).

Cerodirphia speciosa male, 56mm, Cayenne, French Guiana,
(pretty sure this one is C. pruvoti), my home computer only.

Based on the many new Cerodirphia species determined by DNA barcoding by Brechlin & Meister, 2011, I think that there are probably many different species currently depicted on this page. C. speciosa may, in fact, be limited in its range to French Guiana (confirmed for FG in 2018 by ESs), northern Brazil: Amazonas and Suriname, being replaced by very similar species in other locations.

Cerodirphia speciosa male, Radisson, Panama, Panama,
April 20, 2015, courtesy of Tony James

I feel Tony's images from Radisson, Panama, are either speciosa or the recently described C. zulemae from Colombia.

I believe the species, Cerodirphia siriae, replaces the browner Cerodirphia speciosa from further north in the Guayanas, according to Brechlin & Meister, 2011.

However, I note the following: males and females of Cerodirphia siriae seem to have dark brownish antennae while the antennae of Cerodirphia speciosa appear to be quite white (described as yellow by Lemaire). The following image from Misahualli, Napo, Ecuador, fits the range for siriae, but it has the antennae of speciosa?????

Cerodirphia speciosa/siriae ??, Jungle Lodge El Jardin Aleman, Misahualli, Napo, Ecuador,
October 2015, 400m. courtesy of Allen Liu, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Cerodirphia speciosa (probably siriae) pair, Peru, courtesy of Kelly Price.

This species is usually taken at elevations from 150 to 1100m.

The forewing ground colour is usually a dull pink to purplish colour. The black axial streak in the cell marking usually houses a thin white line, and the black streak is usually broken at the turn into the upper branch of the y.

Cerodirphia speciosa female, Panama,
November 21, 2003, courtesy of "A Sasch", id by Bill Oehlke.

I have only tentatively identified the next image as speciosa. I note the black striga is continuous instead of broken at its turn into the upper branch of the white y.

Cerodirphia speciosa ?? male, Explorama Lodge, near Iquitos, Loreto, Peru,
September 18, 2008, courtesy of Shirley Sekarajasingham, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

The following specimen is identified on internet as C. speciosa from Concepcion Department, Paraguay, but I think it is more likely Cerodirphia apunctata.

Cerodirphia species, Concepcion, Paraguay,
from http://www.pybio.org/Cerodirphia.htm

Cerodirphia speciosa (probably siriae) male, Lumbaqui, Ecuador,
November 10, 2004, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Cerodirphia speciosa (probably siriae) male (verso), Lumbaqui, Ecuador, courtesy of Horst Kach.

The black abdomen is ringed with white. Ground colour is dull pink to purplish.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This species probably broods continuously with moths taken throughout the year.

Bernhard Wenczel writes, "C. speciosa I've reared three times. First time during the summer months, when willow was available. I remember it took pretty long but resulted in natural sized moths. Second and third time it was in winter and I fed bramble (Rubus fruticosa ssp..), evergreen oak (Quercus thurneri) and firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea). With all of them the rearing turned out very well.

"The large black spines were the most poisonous ones I've ever seen! The don't hurt when they're touched, but some hours later, the spot of the touched skin gets black and dies within a few days. All without a trace of pain ...."

Cerodirphia speciosa female, 87mm, Cayenne, French Guiana,
on my home computer only.

Cerodirphia speciosa female, 74mm, Cayenne, French Guiana,
on my home computer only.

Cerodirphia speciosa female, 89mm, Frenza Rancho Grande, Cacaulandia, Rondonia, Brazil,
89mm, August, 1993, 150-320m, courtesy of Anna & Frank West.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use highly developed antennae to locate larger, but slightly less colourful females at night by tracking their airbourne pheromone plumes.

Cerodirphia speciosa female (verso), Pununo, Misahualli, Napo, Ecuador,
April 15, 2007, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Cerodirphia speciosa female (verso), Pununo, Misahualli, Napo, Ecuador,
April 15, 2007, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Cerodirphia speciosa female, Hollin, Napo, Ecuador,
1300m, March 23, 2009, courtesy of Horst Kach.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE: Larvae are gregarious and have poisonous spines. See Bernhard Wenczel's comment above. Image courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

Cerodirphia speciosa 5l, Bolivia, courtesy of Kirby Wolfe.

I strongly suspect that Kirby Wolfe's image from Bolivia is something very similar to, yet different from, C. speciosa

There is also possibility that Bernhard Wenczel's larval image if also of a different Cerodirphia species.

Foodplants

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.

Pyracantha coccinea ....... Quercus thurneri Rubus fruticosa Salix

Firethorn (BW) Evergreen Oak (BW) Bramble (BW) Willow (BW)

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