Saturniidae of Honduras

Nestled between Guatemala, El Salvadore, Nicaragua and the Caribbean Sea, Honduras has three distinct topographical regions: an extensive interior highland area and two narrow coastal lowlands. The interior, which constitutes approximately 80 percent of the country's terrain, is mountainous. The larger Caribbean lowlands in the north and the Pacific lowlands bordering the Golfo de Fonseca are characterized by alluvial plains.

Interior Highlands:
The interior highlands are the most prominent feature of Honduran topography. These rugged mountain areas are difficult to traverse and equally difficult to cultivate; this area has not been highly developed.

In the west, Honduras's mountains blend into the mountain ranges of Guatemala. These mountains are woodland covered with mainly pine forests.

In the east, the mountains merge with those in Nicaragua.

One of the most prominent features of the interior highlands is a depression that runs from the Caribbean Sea to the Golfo de Fonseca. This depression splits the country's cordilleras into eastern and western parts.

Scattered throughout the interior highlands are numerous flatfloored valleys, 300 to 900 meters in elevation, which vary in size. The floors of the large valleys provide grass, shrubs, and dry woodland.

Vegetation in the interior highlands is varied. Much of the western, southern, and central mountains are open woodland-- supporting pine forest interspersed with some oak, scrub, and grassy clearings. The ranges toward the east are primarily continuous areas of dense, broad-leaf evergreen forest. Around the highest peaks, remnants of dense rain forest that formerly covered much of the area are still found.

The topographic variety probably allows for a diversified Saturniidae population. However, I have not seen published checklists for Saturniidae from Honduras.

The Saturniidae listed below are "guesswork" based on published accounts for Guatemala (G - limited but accurate reports, from Lemaire's works), Nicaragua (N - extensive and accurate reports from cd sent to me by Jean-Michel Maes) and Mexico (M - extensive and accurate reports from Manuel Balcazar-Lara).

Species expected in Honduras, based on populations in a surrounding country, are listed with denotation. Confirmed reports or corrections would be greatly appreciated. I have only included the Mexican and Nicaraguan species when one or more other countries or both of those countries are reported.

Those species marked with a * are confirmed by Lemaire.

Those species marked with KW are confirmed by Kirby Wolfe.

Those species marked with EM are confirmed by Edward Marabuto, via picture ids by Bill Oehlke.

Those species marked by RL are additions confirmed by Robert Lehman. Those species marked by RC are additions confirmed by Ronald D. Cave.

OXYTENINAE Oxytenis beprea JYM Oxytenis marquezae N Oxytenis modoccidentalis modhondurana N Oxytenis modestia JYM ARSENURINAE Arsenura arianae B&M Arsenura armida RL Arsenura batesii arcaei JYM Caio championi RC Caio richardsoni WO Copiopteryx s. banghaasi * Dysdaemonia boreas * Paradaemonia andensis N, M Paradaemonia winbrechlini Rhes. h. norax RL Titaea t. nobilis RL

SATURNIINAE: ATTACINI Eupackardia calleta RC R. erycina mexicana RC R. lebeau aroma * R. o. orizaba RL Roths. orizaba verapaziana N Rothschildia roxana G, N, M

SATURNIINAE: SATURNIINI Possibly Copaxa cydiphondurensis replaces cydippe; possibly Copaxa lavenderohondurensis replaces lavendera; possibly Copaxa hondfenestrata replaces multifenestrata. Antheraea godmani RL rufinans rufstralica N Copaxa curvilinea JYM C. cydiphondurensis Copaxa cydippe KW Copaxa denda EvS Copaxa escalantei RL Copaxa evelynae JYM Copaxa lavendera RC C. lavenderohondurensis Cop. mazaorum KW C. hondfenestrata C. multifenestrata *, EM Copaxa rufinans EM Copaxa sophronia EM

CERATOCAMPINAE Adeloneivaia centrojason N Adel. boisduvali RC Adeloneivaia isara N, M Adel. jason jason RC?? Adel. subangulata RC Adelowalkeria caeca C. bellavista RC C. lobesis centralamericana * Citheronioides collaris RL Citioica anthonilis RC Eacles i. decoris * Eacles m. masoni RC Eacles o. ormondei RC Otho. purpurascens * Othorene verana * Ptiloscola dargei RL Sch. santarosensis RL Syssphinx c. colla RC Syssphinx c. grisea ?; C.R., M Syssphinx mexicana * Syssphinx molina RC Syssphinx montana JYM S. paraxanthina B&M Syss. q. quadrilineata RC Syssphinx yucatana N, M

HEMILEUCINAE Automeris comayaguana Automeris banus banus * Automeris belti belti RC Automeris cecrops N, M Automeris excreta * Automeris fieldi * Automeris hamata * Automeris io draudtiana N, M Automeris jucunda JYM Automeris lauta * Aut. lempirensis e Automeris macphaili * Automeris metzli * Automeris moloneyi RC Automeris montezuma * Automeris pallidior RC Automeris phrynon RC Automeris postalbida * Automeris rubrescens Automeris tridens * Automeris zozine * Automeris zurobara N, M Dirphia avia JYM Dirphiopsis flora * Dirphiopsis wolfei KW Gamelia abas JYM Gamelia musta N, M Gamelia septentrionalis * H. (L.) latigra H. (G) alejandroi H. (L.) guiyasotana H. (H.) lempirex H. (H.) atlantex H. (H.) ilhondurex Hylesia acuta G, N, M Hylesia continua alinda * Hylesia continua continua * Hylesia dalina * Hylesia frigida * Hylesia gamelioides * Hylesia hamata * Hylesia hubbelli * Hylesia invidiosa e Hylesia lineata * Hylesia r. rosacea JYM Hylesia rubrifrons JYM Hylesia subaurea * Hylesia tinturex * Hylesia umbrata G, N, C.R. Hylesia umbratula G, N, M Hyperchiria nausica * Leucanella acutissima * L. contempta windi * Lonomia electra *, EM Molippa nibasa * Molippa ninfa RL Paradirphia parapeggyae E P. parapeg. lempirensis E Paradirphia boudinotiJYM Paradirphia lieseorum E Para. pararudloffi E P. rectilineata *, EM Paradirphia semirosea EM? Paradirphia valverdei *?

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Here is the data from Robert Lehman.

Arsenura armida:
2/19/01 17 km west of La Ceiba 100 m 119 mm dept Atlantida
6/21/94 El Merendon Cloud Forest above San Pedro Sula, 1500 m 133 mm dept Cortes
7/1/94 La Tigra Cloud Forest above Tegucigalpa 1800 m 120 mm dept Francisco Morazan
7/25/95 La Muralla Natl Park cloud forest 1420 m 136 mm dept Olancho
7/26/95 La Muralla ....... 122 mm
7/29/95 La Muralla ....... 110 mm

Copiopteryx semiramis banghaasi:
6/4/02 Sinai, Yoro 1410 m N 15 25 46 W 87 21 43 120 mm dept Yoro. I have seen specimens also in 2006 35 km west and 5 km south of La Ceiba 130 mm (I have to get the month from the collector).

Dysdaemonia boreas:
2/21/01 17 km west of La Ceiba 100 m 131 mm dept Atlantida
4/30/94 17 km west ......... 125 mm and 137 mm
2/9/95 city of La Ceiba 20 m 133 mm
3/28/07 7 km east of La Ceiba 120 m 135 mm

Rhescyntis hippodamia norax:
8/8/94 12 km west of La Ceiba 150 m 149 mm dept Atlantida
4/9/94 17 km west of La Ceiba ..... 100 m 142 mm
3/17/97 12 km west of La Ceiba ..... 155 mm
3/31/95 17 km west of La Ceiba ...... 155 mm
3/23/07 7 km east of La Ceiba 120 m 130 mm

Paradaemonia andensis: (none in my collection)

Titaea tamerlan nobilis:
2/19/01 17 km west of La Ceiba 100 m 138 and 148 mm dept Atlantida
3/31/96 17 km west of La Ceiba ....... 135 mm
4/12/95 12 km west of La Ceiba 150 m (female) 158 mm

New for 2017

Paradirphia parapeggyae Brechlin & Meister, 2017; western Honduras: Ocotopeque
Paradirphia parapeggyae lempirensis Brechlin & Meister, 2017; Honduras: Lempira; Francisco Morazan