Hylesia rufipes
Updated from Lemaire's Hemileucinae, 2002, October 13, 2005; January 12, 2007; April 30, 2007
Updated as per http://www.inbio.ac.cr/bims/k02/p05/c029/o0119/f00885.htm IB, April 2008

Hylesia rufipes
Schaus, 1911

Hylesia rufipes male courtesy of Dan Janzen.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Tribe: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Genus: Hylesia, Hubner, [1820]

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DISTRIBUTION:

Hylesia rufipes (wingspan: males: 38-47mm; females: probably larger) flies in
Costa Rica: Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, Limon, San Jose (CL), Puntarenas (IB); and
Nicaragua and
possibly into Panama.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This species probably broods continuously.

Dan Janzen reports Dioclea wilsonii as a larval host in Costa Rica.

Hylesia rufipes female courtesy of Dan Janzen.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage.

First instar larvae are black and are highly gregarious and have the urticating spines typical of larvae from the Subfamily Hemileucinae.

Final instar courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Hylesia rufipes, Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

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.

Dioclea wilsonii .......

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