DISTRIBUTION:

Lemaireodirphia hoegei (wingspan: males: 65-88mm; females: 85-100mm // forewing length: males: 39-45mm; females: 45-52mm) flies in
Mexico: Veracruz; Puebla; Chiapas; and in
Guatemala: Huehuetenango.

Lemaireodirphia hoegei male, copyright Kirby Wolfe

Visit Lemaireodirphia Comparison Chart.

The pmline of both the male and female is broadly preapical, straight to slightly convex from costa to bottom of cell, slightly indented (concave) for next three intraneural segments, before straightening in its course to the inner margin. Both the inner white and outer black portions are relatively wide, diffuse, yet distinct.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Larvae feed on Platanus lindeniana, Prunus, Pyrus malus, Robinia pseudoacacia and Salix chilensis.

This species is on the wing from June until October, probably as two broods.

Lemaireodirphia hoegei female, Veracruz, Mexico,
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 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.

Paradirphia hoegei larvae are highly gregarious and have the urticating spines typical of larvae from the Subfamily Hemileucinae.

These interesting images of a Paradirphia hoegei (now, 2012, Lemaireodirphia hoegei) larva from Puebla, Puebla, Mexiko (about 80 miles southeast from Mexiko City) on rose foliage, size about 10 cm, were sent to me by Christian Steger.

Species confirmed by Kirby Wolfe.

Lemaireodirphia hoegei?? larvae, Puebla, Mexico, courtesy of Christian Steger.

Additional Lemaireodirphia species were described in 2012. Possibly Christian's larvae are of one of the more recently described species.

Larva copyright Kirby Wolfe

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.

Platanus lindeniana Prunus Pyrus malus Robinia pseudoacacia..... Salix chilensis

Plane Cherry Apple Black locust/False acacia Willow

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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.

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.

The genus name "Lemaireodirphia", chosen by Brechlin & Meister, 2012, is honourific for Claude Lemaire, and is indicativeof a great similarity between these moths and those in the genera Dirphia and Paradirphia.

The species name "hoegei" is honourific for Hoege.

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Lemaireodirphia hoegei male, 73mm, Veracruz, Mexico,
on my home computer only.