RACHESA Comparison Table

Rachesa belong to the Subfamily Ceratocampinae of the Family Saturniidae.

Eggs are translucent and the developing larvae can be seen through the egg shells.

Like all the Ceratocampinae, the larvae are well-endowed with long thoracic "horns" which tend to diminish relative to body size as the larvae progress through successive moults.

Mature larvae descend trees to pupate in subterranean chambers.

These moths fly in South America and are, in many cases, indistinguishable from Adeloneivaia jason and Syssphinx ocellata except by examination of genitalia.

DNA barcoding analysis may be necessary to distinguish between many of the species, recently described, based on that process.

Rachesa adusta male 87mm, 2000m Peru: Puno; Cusco Ecu.: Napo Rachesa adusta female female unknown?? Males of almost all other species have outward tracing of pm line with fine pinkish-white Pe.: Puno; Cusco Ecu.: Napo basal area grey; median area orange with fine darker spotting; no inner/outer tracing of slightly pre-apical pm line; heavy suffusions of grey-brown in pm area; lilac-grey along o. m. breteuili male 63-105mm; 1500-2200m W. Ec.; W. Co.: cauca; Pe. ?? breteuili female: 102-115mm; on my home computer only W. Ec.; W. Co.: Cauca; Pe. ?? often thin white extension of cell spot, or black outline toward costa; Only Rachesa from W. Ec. Fw apex not as sharp as in eastern Ec. species arianae male 80-90mm; 2240-2375m. Ecuador: Morona Santiago arianae female female unknown as of end of 2013 Ecuador: Morona Santiago Male very similar to other east Peruvian species. Darker Reddish-brown median area.; Aml dark, dstinct, straight, inwardly lined with pink; Pml dark, straight, strong pink line suffusion from im to apex. Pink mrgnl suffusion broadens, runs from apex to aa. sumacensis male Ecuador: Napo sumacensis female Ecuador: Napo Orange median area; stronger pink aml suffusion; weaker pml suffusion than arianae pink suffusion in submarginal area dissipates before anal angle alegrensis male 87mm; 1950m Peru: Amazonas: Vista Alegre alegrensis female female unknown as of end of 2013 Peru: Amazonas: Vista Alegre forewing apex broader, not as acute as in many other species Pml slightly concave in lower half; without the outer light tracing. Hw outer margin slightly convex, not angular viksinjaevi male 82mm; 1620-3035m Peru: Junin; Pasco viksinjaevi female 116mm; 1620-3035m Peru: Junin; Pasco Fw outer margin slightly convex; hw outer margin straight; not concave as in sinjaevorum; reddish ground colour sinjaevorum male 89mm; 2310-2850m Bolivia: Cochabamba: Sierra Siberia sinjaevorum female 115mm; 2310-2850m Bolivia: Cochabamba: Sierra Siberia Common; larger, darker brown than nisa; fw wider than nisa; apex less pointed; fw white discal spot larger; hw o. m. straight to slightly concave nisa male 77-83mm; 1600-2300m Peru; Ecuador; Bolivia nisa female viksinjaevi?? 102-115mm; 1600-2300m Peru; Ecuador; Bolivia smaller, brighter, more orangey than sinjaevorum; narrower forewing with smaller white discal spot; hindwing outer margin straight possibly only in S. Peru lampei male 76mm; 900m Peru: San Martin lampei female female unknown as of end of 2013 Peru: San Martin Broader, more rounded fw apical area; apical, thin, straight pml, outwardly traced in pale pink; aml inwardly lined with pink; hw o.m. quite convex reventador male 84-95mm; 1200 - 2000m Ecuador; Peru; Bolivia reventador female female unknown as of end of 2013 Ecuador; Peru; Bolivia broad pinkish-white suffusion outside pm line, almost obscuring thin, dark, pml; same broad suffusion inside aml; orange ground colour with heavy dark spotting and brownish tints chrisbrechlinae male 85mm; 1000-1900m Bolivia: La Paz, Santa Cruz chrisbrechlinae female 110mm; 1000-1900m Bolivia: La Paz, Santa Cruz Much like reventador; darker (brown with orangey tint) with the male having larger white cell spot; possibly replaces reventador in Bolivia?? maybe not

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