DISTRIBUTION:

Hylesia gigantex gigantex (wingspan: males: 45-55mm; females: 63-79mm) flies in
western Colombia: Choco, Valle;
western Ecuador: Pichincha; and
Costa Rica: Puntarenas: Osa (IB); and
possibly in Panama.

The thorax is dark mouse-grey; the abdomen is dark brown with yellowish hairs.

The forewing is only slightly apically produced with a straight, oblique outer margin. The ground colour is a purplish mouse-grey, brown in the basal area.

The irregular antemedial line is whitish-grey. The very thin, brown postmedian line is slightly scalloped and outwardly traced with whitish grey. The two lines almost meet near the midpoint of the inner margin. The darker, brownish-black discal spot is prominent and is a streak, rounded in the middle. There is a lighter elongated oval patch just below the apex.

This species usually flies at elevations from 30m to 1000m.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in February (Ecuador), April, May, June, September, October and December, suggesting multiple flights. Larval hosts are unknown, but oak species would probably suffice.

This species probably broods continuously on a three month cycle.

Hylesia gigantex female, Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Hylesia gigantex female, Valle, Colombia,
1000m, Claude Lemaire, on my home computer only.

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 probably deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage.

Hylesia gigantex 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.

Quercus .......

Oaks

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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.

The species name is derived from the especially large size of the female.