DISTRIBUTION:

Leucanella fusca (wingspan: males: 78-88mm; females: 96mm) flies in Mexico in Oaxaca.

This species looks like a smaller L. hosmera with a smaller eyespot surrounded by a wider copper ring. The ground colour is usually very dark (male) orange-brown with lighter colouration in the female.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens are rare. No flight data has been recorded.

Leucanella fusca larvae probably will eat Ligustrum. Bernhard Wenczel reports he did not have success with Ligustrum, but larvae did accept Prunus.

Leucanella fusca female, Oaxaca, Mexico,
courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel and Viktor Suter.

Leucanella fusca female, Mexico, on my home computer only
courtesy of Peter Jakubek, Esperanza Insects.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are probably laid in clusters and larvae, which have urticating spines, probably feed gregariously.

Leucanella fusca sixth instar, Oaxaca, Mexico,
courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel and Viktor Suter.

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.

Ligustrum ...... Prunus

Privet Cherry/Plum

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.

Some of the early describers/namers chose genus and species names indicating some character of the insect, but more often, they simply chose names from Greek or Roman mythology or history.

Those species names which end in "ensis" indicate a specimen locale, and those which end in "i", pronounced "eye", honour a contempory friend/collector/etc.

I do not know the source of the genus name "Leucanella" chosen by Lemaire in 1969. PERHAPS (pure speculation by Bill Oehlke) it was chosen for the "little light" spots surrounding the pupil in the type species leucane.

The species name "fusca" is probably for the dark orange brown, sometimes almost black, ground colour of the male.

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Leucanella fusca, Mexico,
on my home computer only.