DISTRIBUTION:

Paradirphia valverdei (wingspan: males: 64-70mm; females: 84-88mm) flies at moderate elevations (1200-2000m) in
Oaxaca and Veracruz, Mexico; and in
Olancho, Honduras.

Paradirphia semirosea/anikae/valverdei???, Oaxaca, Mexico, courtesy of Kelly Price

I do not know for sure if the above moth is Paradirphia semirosea or a slightly warn Paradirphia valverdei. Both species fly in Oaxaca, Mexico. It could also be the more recently described P. anikae. Both anikae and semirosea show higher levels of contrast than does valverdei, and the Kelly Price image does show a high contrast level.

Paradirphia valverdei male, Oaxaca, Mexico,
on my home computer only.

Lemaire indicates that Paradirphia semirosea from Oaxaca usually have yellow rings on the abdomen, but red rings from other locations. Examination of the ventral surface might help. Paradirphia valverdei does not have yellow discal spots on the ventral surfaces. There are also other Paradirphia from Oaxaca.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This species is on the wing June - August.

Larvae feed on Prunus in captivity. Natural host(s) is unknown.

Paradirphia valverdei male (Mexico),
courtesy of Dr. Manuel A. Balcazar Lara

Paradirphia valverdei female, 88mm, Oaxaca, 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 valverdei larvae are highly gregarious and have the urticating spines typical of larvae from the Subfamily Hemileucinae.

Paradirphia valverdei larva, copyright protected, courtesy of 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.

Prunus.....

Cherry

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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.

I do not know the source of the genus name "Paradirphia" chosen by Michener in 1849, but it probably has to do with the similarity of these moths to those in the genus Dirphia.

The species name "valverdei" is honourific for Valverde.

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