I am uncertain if the images on this page are of Rothschildia speculifer speculifer or of Rothschildia aurota aurota or of one of the other very simlar species whose names have been put forward in recent years.

Paraguay seems to be a bit of a transition zone between the two species. My guess is that Rothschildia speculifer speculifer would be on the eastern side of the mountains in the Bosque Atlantico de Alto Parana, and that aurota or a similar species is on the western side in the Chaco Humedo. The two images of adult moths that Ulf and PYBIO provide seem different to me, but no precise location is specified for either.

I provide some images for comparison: 1) one from Minas Gerais that I am confident is R. s. speculifer and 2) one from Suriname that I am confident is aurota.

The larval images seem most like speculifer, yet Ulf has the adults, eggs and larvae all listed as aurota. I favour R. speculifer speculifer, mostly because of location. Rothschildia lutea is also a very similar species.

Paraguay Biomes: Ecological Regions

Rothschildia ??, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Rothschildia speculifera speculifera male, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
January 26, 2010, courtesy of Larry Valentine, id by Bill Oehlke.

Rothschildia ??, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Rothschildia aurota aurota female, Suriname,
August 1, 2006, courtesy of Richard Stickney, id by Bill Oehlke.

The varying prominence of the lilac flares into the subterminal area of all wings might be quite variable within each species, but I believe aurota is more assocatied with the Andean and Guyano-Amazonia regions, while speculifer is more associated with the Atlantic forests.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Saturniinae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Tribe: Attacini, Blanchard, 1840 Genus: Rothschildia, Grote, 1896

Rothschildia ?? eggs, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Rothschildia ?? first instars on Ricinus comunis, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Rothschildia ?? first instars on Citrus aurantium, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Rothschildia ?? second instar, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Rothschildia ?? third instar, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Rothschildia ?? fourth instar, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Rothschildia ?? fifth instar, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Rothschildia ?? fifth instar, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Rothschildia ?? cocoon, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

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