DISTRIBUTION:

Hylesia continua alinda (wingspan: males: 41-47mm; females: 53-61mm) flies in
Guatemala: Retalbuleu, Huehuetenango, Solola, Alta Verapaz, Zacapa;
Mexico: Chiapas;
El Salvador: Ahuachapan;
Nicaragua: Atlantico Norte, Zelaya;
Costa Rica: Alajuela, Limon, Heredia, Cartago, San Jose (CL), Guanacaste, Puntarenas (IB); and
Panama: Chiriqui; at low to medium elevation.

I am pretty sure the images on the Hylesia continua continua page from Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen, are of subspecies H. c. alinda.

HABITAT

This species has been taken at elevations ranging from 35m to 2250m.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Larva accept Psidium friedrichsthalianum in captivity and Persea americana has also been sited as a host.

The moth seems to be on a three month generational cycle and moths are probably on the wing in all months.

These moths are quite a nuisance during outbreaks as their wing and body scales cause a rash when in contact with human skin.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen, and the night-flying males pick up and track the airbourne pheromone plume with their well-developed antennae.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage.

Hylesia continua alinda larvae are highly gregarious and have the urticating spines typical of larvae from the Subfamily Hemileucinae.

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.

Persea americana Psidium friedrichsthalianum .......

Avocado Costa Rican Guava

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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.

I do not know the origin of the genus name Hylesia.

I do not know the origin of the species name continua.

The subspecies name is probably for the Greek city Alinda.

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