Species
Automeris egeus 96-134mm
Automeris parageus
Automeris boops 104-126mm
Automeris tatiae
Automeris larra
Automeris niepelti
Automeris mixtus
Automeris paralarra
Automeris postalbida
Automeris vanschaycki
Automeris anikmeisterae
Automeris silkae
| Forewing Characters
egeus: Ground colour is very dark grey with pale orange hi-lites inside am line
and lower half of subterminal area.
Postmedian line is broadly preapical; thin black (inner), white, thicker black (outer), almost straight with slight inturn near costa.
The cell is dark with a prominent white dot
Automeris parageus
The forewing is a much more uneven reddish brown compared to the dark grey of egeus.
Broadly preapical pm line is outwardly convex with strongest black on inner edge, outwardly traced in white and
then with thin black.
Automeris boops
Straight, dark, broadly preapical, inner pm line is slightly curved toward body near costa and inner margin,
outwardly lined with creamy white, then dark purplish grey.
Heavy lilac-grey suffusions in median area and along outer margin
Automeris tatiae
Forewing gc: medium dark brown with heavy suffusion of silvery scales in median area.
Almost straight pm line broadly preapical with inward turns near costa and inner margin. There is strong white
line outlined by thinner black lines.
Automeris larra
GC lighter than egeus; more reddish brown with golden hi-lites; more rounded wing shape.
PM line not broadly preapical, straight or inwardly slightly concave, and more oblique than in egeus.
Basal area darker than other areas
Automeris niepelti
GC orangey-brown.
Pm line moderately preapical and straight except for inturn near costa.
The inner edge is whispy black, then a substantial white line, outwardly traced by an equally prominent
black line.
Golden-orange between cell and am line.
Automeris mixtus
Removed as synonym of larra
Dark, straight pm line not broadly preapical, inwardly lined with whispy white.
Dark reddish brown gc with darker, greyish basal area, cell, pm band and lower portions
of sbtl area.
Outer margin connvex.
Automeris paralarra
FW pm line is preapical but not broadly so, and is mostly straight, strongly black on outer edge, inwardly lined with thin off white
which is faintly inwardly traced with black;
Cell and basal areas noticeably darker than reddish brown median area.
Automeris postalbida
Postmedian line broadly preapical and outwardly convex;
inwardly lined with thin black, then prominent white, then outwardly with
strong black
Basal area, cell (with small white dot), and post median bar
darker than otherwise uniform greyish median area
Automeris vanschaycki
GC: dark reddish brown rather than almost black of anikmeisterae.
Broadly preapical pm line slightly outwardly convex with inward curve nearing the costa.
Inner black pm line strongest in upper half, outwardly traced in thin beige, then wispy black.
Automeris anikmeisterae
Ground colour is an almost uniform very dark brown to black, much darker than in the other three
Costa Rican species in this group. The broadly preapical, black pm line is straight, faintly inwardly traced with greyish-white.
Cell very dark, with white dot.
Automeris silkae
GC: dark reddish brown rather than almost black of anikmeisterae.
Pm line slightly less preapical than in vanschaycki, and cell marking
larger in silkae than in vanschaycki.
I am not convinced they are distinct species
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Hindwing Characters
Automeris egeus
Hindwing ocellus is round with thick black ring, a small, bright, creamy-white iris and small black pupil, with
no white suffusion or streak
Outer edge of black subterminal line is not notched as in larra, but orangey
veins are visible.
Median area: bright creamy white.
Automeris parageus
The hindwing ocellus is more elliptical compared to the rounder one in egeus
The pupil is larger and is surrounded by a beige-white iris, not as bright as in egeus
Both dark grey, hindwing bands are thicker than in egeus, with inner band crowding ocellus.
Automeris boops
Bright, creamy white median area. Ocellus with thick black ring and large pupil, reducing area of slightly greyish iris.
Note very strong presence of white along outer edge of relatively narrow subterminal band. This white also reduces the
width of the marginal band.
Automeris tatiae
Hw ocellus is small, round, with thick black ring, limited area to creamy-white iris, relatively large black pupil
suffused with white
Lacks prominent white scaling, as found in boops, outside black subterminal band.
Automeris larra
Medium sized, round ocellus with black ring not as thick as in other species, suffusion of grey in iris, round black pupil with white streak.
Dark grey subterminal band deeply notched at veins along outer edge.
Automeris niepelti
Hindwing ocellus round, variable in diameter,
Black ring is not overly thick, but dark grey iris shows little contrast between ring and black pupil, often
entirely suffused in white.
Submarginal band relatively thin, deeply notched at veins.
Automeris mixtus
Once treated as synonym of larra, slightly larger hw ocellus has creamy iris rather than grey iris of larra.
Black pupil larger in mixtus without white suffusion.
Pm line makes more complete upturn along inner margin in mixtus.
Sbtl band is notched as in larra.
Automeris paralarra
Ground colour is lighter brown and more reddish than mixtus;
The hindwing ocellus is round and considerably smaller than in mixtus.
Outer edge of subterminal lines/bands notched on all wings
HW median area is lighter, brighter, less grey than mixtus
Automeris postalbida
Hindwing ocellus is large with thick black ring, greyish iris, large oblong pupil
with heavy white suffusion
Black submarginal band relatively thin, slightly irregular on outer edge, outwardly hi-lited
in white
red abdomen, ringed with black
Automeris vanschaycki
Hindwing very similar to anikmeisterae, but median area is not quite so bright, ocellus is slightly larger, and pupil is larger and more oblong.
The marginal area is more reddish brown than the darker grey-brown to black of anikmeisterae.
Automeris anikmeisterae
Median area of hindwing is very bright, creamy white.
Relatively small, round ocellus has a thick black ring, a dark grey iris, and a sub-triangular black pupil,
suffused with white.
The postmedian and subterminal black bands are relatively thin and very dark.
Automeris silkae
Very similar to A. vanshaycki, but perhaps the hindwing ocellus
is slightly larger in silkae, and silkae also has a larger, more oblong pupil.
I am not convinced they are distinct species.
| Range
egeus LARGE, 51-68mm
HT: Suriname;
Guyana: Mazaruni-Potaro;
French Guiana: SJdM;
Trinidad: St. George East;
Venezuela: Bo; Ta, 105-1350m
Brazil: Amapa; Paraiba; Mato Grosso, 350m; RdJ
Ecuador: Na.; MS; 700-900m
Peru: Hu; Ju; Cu; MdD
Bolivia: La Paz; Beni
parageus 13; 50-56mm
HT: Bolivia: LaPaz: Nor Yungas, 1000-1800m;
Beni: Rurrenabaque, 300m;
Peru: Cusco: Quillabamba;
Cusco: Marcapata, 1270m;
Madre de Dios: Salvasion, 500m;
Ucayali: Puerto Inca, 280m;
Cajamarca: Cutevero, 1950m.
Automeris boops 59-63mm
LT: Venezuela: DiFe; Arag;
Colombia;
Ecuador: Na, Tu;
Peru: San Martin, Cusco;
Bolivia: Santa Cruz.
*1150-2000m; montane species*
Automeris tatiae 55-58mm
Peru: Pasco: Oxapampa: La Suiza;
Taken at elevations of 2180m to 2412m, this appears to be a higher elevation species.
Automeris larra 47-58mm (CL)
French Guiana: Regina; cacao; Coralie; SJdM; Saul
Venezuela: Amazonas; Bolivar;
Ecuador: Napo; ;
Brazil: Amapa,; Amazonas; Mato Grosso; RdJ; Parana.
Taken at low elevations of 50-400m.
Automeris niepelti 61-68mm
VERY LARGE
western Colombia: Valle, Choco;
western Ecuador: Esmeraldas; Pichincha;
elevations of 1000-1700m;
sympatric with A. postalbida
Both species have red abdomens, ringed with black.
Automeris mixtus
Peru: Cajamarca: Cutervo;
Peru: Pasco: Oxapampa: La Suiza;
Ecuador: Napo
Automeris paralarra 8: 50-55mm
HT: Peru: Loreto: Pucacuro;
Madre de Dios: Malinosque, 800m;
Madre de Dios: Salvasion, 500m;
Cusco: Quillabamba, 1850m;
Jan-Feb; June-July; November
postalbida 5: 50-59mm
Ecuador: Es; Pi; Co; Bo; Ca;
Colombia: Cho; VdC; Nar;
Guatemala: Izabal;
Honduras: Atlantida, Olancho;
Nicaragua: Jin; Mat; Zel; RSJ;
Costa Rica: Her; Car; Li; Al; Gu; Pu; SJ;
Panama: Chi; BdT; Col;
0-1200 m
vanschaycki 4: 59-62mm
Costa Rica: Limon: Calamanca, 1430m;
red abdomen, ringed with black.
anikmeisterae 2: 63-65mm
Nicaragua: Jinotega, 1300m;
Costa Rica: Limon: Calamanca, 1430m; Alajuela, 1790m
red abdomen, ringed with black.
Automeris silkae 1: 64mm
Costa Rica: Limon: Calamanca, 1430m;
red abdomen, ringed with black.
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