DISTRIBUTION:

Citheronia volcan moth (wingspan: males: 93-103mm; females: 133mm) flies in the volcanic (hence its name) areas of
Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Cartago, Puntarenas (CL), San Jose, Heredia (IB); and
Panama: Chiriqui: Boquete and Mount Totumas (GJ), at elevations mostly between 1500-2000m.

Forewing interveinous spots tend toward copper colour and are quite rounded. The discal spot and two basal spots are pale yellow.

The female forewing is of a reddish-grey ground colour with red veins. She has a red and quite irregular line in the postmedian area outside the interveinous spots.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing from April until June and July (GJ) and again in August-September.
Larvae of Citheronia volcan eat Microtropis occidentalis and Conostegia species.

Citheronia volcan female, Nachr. entomol. Ver. Apollo, N.F. 26 (4): 177-180 (2005)

Citheronia volcan female (verso), Nachr. entomol. Ver. Apollo, N.F. 26 (4): 177-180 (2005)

Citheronia volcan female, Mount Totumas, Chiriqui, Panama,
July 16, 2016, 1800m, courtesy of Galerita Janus, id by Bill Oehlke

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use well-developed antennae to seek out females which scent at night.

Citheronia volcan female, Monteverde, Puntarenas, Costa Rica,
August 10, 2012, courtesy of Jonathan Sequeira.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Larvae leave foliage at pupation time to tunnel under the earth and pupate in a subterranean chamber.

Citheronia volcan, fifth instar, Costa Rica, courtesy of Miguel E. Chumpitasi.

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants as per personal correspondence (Miguel E. Chumpitasi). 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.

Conostegia Microtropis occidentalis.......

Snailwood Microtropis occidentalis

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The pronunciation of scientific names is troublesome for many. The "suggestion" at the top of the page is merely a suggestion. It is based on commonly accepted English pronunciation of Greek names and/or some fairly well accepted "rules" for latinized scientific names.

The suggested pronunciations, on this page and on other pages, are primarily put forward to assist those who hear with internal ears as they read.

There are many collectors from different countries whose intonations and accents would be different.

The source of the genus name "Citheronia" is probably Mount Citheron (Greek mythology), an untamed wilderness, exempt from the laws of civilization. The goddesses go naked there and are free from any of the pressures of society.

The species name "volcan" is for its range in the volcanic regions of Costa Rica and Panama.