DISTRIBUTION:

Salassa royi (males: 96-114mm; females: probably larger; forewing length: males: 56-61 mm) flies in
northeastern Nepal: Kanchenjunga (3400m) and Bhutan: Chele La Pass (3800m).

This species is considerably larger, with significantly larger ocelli as compared to recently (2009) described Salassa pararoyi.

Salassa royi male, Kanchenjunga, Nepal, 114mm, July 10, 1996, 3400m,
on my home computer only.

This is a dark, greyish-brown species. Males have large circular forewing eyespots. A diffuse, grey, slightly convex postmedial line is outwardly traced by a series of thin greyish white linear segments. The hindwing ocellus is surrounded by a bluish-grey ring, outlined inwardly and outwardly by black rings. There is no yellow/orange/red so typical of most Salassa species. (description by Bill Oehlke, based on specimens displayed, which may or may not be correctly identified).

Salassa royi male, Nepal, courtesy of Ron Brechlin

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There is a July flight. Moths are probably on the wing in other months.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Larvae spin loose cocoons near the ground amongst loose debris. Possibly cocoons hang from trees.

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.

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Entomo-Satsphingia 2 (2): 43 – 49 (Oktober 2009) "Drei neue Arten der Gattung Salassa Moore, 1859", (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae, Salassinae) Ronald Brechlin, on my home computer only.

On my home computer only: notes on Saturniidae of Bhutan by Ronald Brechlin (in English) as published in Entomo-Satsphingia 2 (1): 47 – 55 (March 2009)