Napo Province, Ecuador

Please note: Locations of towns and cities are approximate.

Located in northeastern Ecuador, just west of northwestern Peru and south of Colombia, Napo Province is host to many (approximately 200) Saturniidae species.

In the west there are breathtaking cloud forests sloping eastward to subtropical rain forests and paramo (grasslands). One of Ecuador's most beautiful snow-capped volcanoes, Antisana, is close to the province's western border with Pichincha.

Buses run regularly from Quito, Pichincha Province, to and from Tena, the provincial capital, and there has been much reporting of Saturniidae along the road from Quito to Tena.

This page is inspired by and dedicated to Luigi Racheli who sent me the publication "The Saturniidae fauna of Napo Province, Ecuador: an overview (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)" SHILAP Revta. lepid. 34 (134), 2006: 125-139.

I have used Luigi's document, co-authored with T. Racheli, to update the list I had compiled by going through Lemaire's publications. Horst Kach has also made very significant contributions to the progress of this work, with data and numerous images.

As part of his conclusion, Luigi writes, "This provisional list of Saturniid moths for Napo Province must be viewed only as the frame for future investigations."

I have posted some species not included in Luigi's checklist, based on info from Horst Kach and my own interpolations/extrapolations. N.B.: Those species followed by my initials (WO) are not confirmed for Napo Province, but I think they have a good chance of being reported there.

Gamelia neidhoeferi female, Cosanga, Napo Province, Ecuador, courtesy of Horst Kach.

The name Ecuador is Spanish for equator, and the country straddles the geographic equator, from about 1°30'N to 5°S latitude; mainland Ecuador extends from about 75°20'W to 81°W longitude. Napo Province is just south of the Equator.

In 1998 the eastern half of Napo province was recognized as the new province of Orellana, but official maps showing the new province have not yet been produced. The new province of Orellana includes Yasuní National Park, an important area for botanical inventories. Similarly, in 1989 the province of Sucumbíos, which includes the botanically important Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, was split off from Napo province.

Lemaire generally does not indicate Saturniidae species from Sucumbios province, and also does not report for Orellana. Species from those regions were designated by Lemaire as from Napo. The later reports by Racheli, Kach, and my own searches generally sorts out those from Lumbaqui in Sucumbios Province and the few located in the east in Orellana Province.

OXYTENIIDAE Additional species will be added to this table. Oxytenis albilunulata

ARSENURINAE Rhescyntis descimoni courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel. Those species and subspecies followed by a "CL" are listed by Lemaire in his Arsenurinae, 1980, confirming many listings taken from the internet. "HK" represents an addition from Horst Kach, and "LR" represents an addition from Luigi Racheli. If you have corrections or additions, or especially images of larvae and/or adults not currently depicted, please forward them to oehlkew@islandtelecom.com Arsenura albopicta HK Arsenura armida CL Arsenura b. batesii CL Arsenura ciocolatina CL Arsenura cymonia CL Arsenura mossi CL Arsenura ponderosa HK Arsenura rebeli CL Arsenura s. sylla HK Ars. t. lemairei HK Copiopt. jehovah LTR C. s. semiramis LTR Dysdaem. boreas CL Grammop. lineata LTR Parad. p. platydesmia CL Paradaemonia samba LR Rhesc. h. hippodamia CL Rhescyntis hermes CL Rhescyntis descimoni CL Titaea t. amazonensis CL Titaea lemoulti CL Titaea timur CL

SATURNIINAE: ATTACINI Those species and subspecies followed by a "CL" are listed by Lemaire in his Attacinae, 1978, confirming many internet postings. HK indicates additions by Horst Kach. LR indicates an addition/confirmation by Luigi Racheli. I suspect R. aurota auroamazonensis replaces nominate aurota in eastern Ecuador. R. are. rhodina CL R. ari. xanthina CL R. a. aurota LTR R. aur. auroamazonensis Roths e. erycina HK R. lebeau inca LTR R. h. hesperus CL/HK R. o. peruviana CL

SATURNIINAE: SATURNIINI Those species and subspecies followed by a "CL" are listed by Lemaire in his Attacinae, 1978, confirming many internet postings. HK indicates an addition by Horst Kach. KW indicates an addition by Kirby Wolfe. LR indicates an addition/confirmation by Luigi Racheli. Copaxa andensis CL Copaxa bachuea KW Copaxa novocineracea CL Copaxa decrescens LTR Copaxa ex. expandens CL Cop. ex. brunneaocaeca LTR Copaxa orientalis HK Copaxa satellita CL

CERATOCAMPINAE: Those species and subspecies followed by a "CL" are listed by Lemaire in his Ceratocampinae, 1987. Luigi Racheli "LTR" provides some additions, and I "WO" have added some (unconfirmed) that I feel might be present in the extreme northern parts of Napo or in other unexplored areas. The following larva is from Tena, Ecuador, It is probably either Citioica kaechi or Citiica homoea but it could also be the highly variable Citioica anthonilis or even something undescribed. Citioica kaechi?? final instar, Tena, Ecuador, February 2018, courtesy of Lee Dyer, very tentative id by bill Oehlke. Adeloneivaia acuta CL Adeloneivaia boisduvalii CL Adeloneivaia c. catoxantha CL Adeloneivaia jason CL Adeloneivaia pelias CL Adeloneivaia subangulata CL Adwalkeria plateada CL Adwalkeria torresi CL Bathyphlebia eminens CL Bathyphlebia flavior CL Cicia pelota CL Citheronia andina CL Citheronia aroa CL Citheronia hamifera CL Citheronia phoronea CL Citioica anthonilis CL Citioica homoea CL Citioica kaechi ESs Eacles adoxa HK Eacles barnesi WO? Eacles callopteris LR Eacles guianensis WO? Eacles kaechi B&M Eacles i. cacicus CL Eacles m. fulvaster CL E. f. oriecuadoriana Eacles o. peruviana CL Eacles o. violacea CL Eacles penelope CL Othorene hodeva CL Procitheronia fenestrata LR Ptil. photophila LTR Rachesa adusta LTR Rachesa breteuili LTR Rachesa nisa CL Rachesa reventador CL Schausiella carabaya CL Sch. longispina WO? Schausiella subochreata CL Syssphinx amena CL Syssphinx bidens CL Syssphinx chocoensis WO? Syssphinx molina CL Syssphinx nr ocellata LTR

HEMILEUCINAE: Those species and subspecies followed by a CL are listed by Lemaire in his Hemileucinae, 2002, confirming species from many internet lists. I have also utilized, January 2007, L. & T. Racheli's An Update Checklist of the Saturniidae of Ecuador. Part I, in SHILAP, 2005, which includes some tentative species, some additions for Ecuador and some range extensions on the individual files beyond Lemaire's work. Horst Kach has also provided some range extensions and numerous images. Automerina cypria CL Automerina caudatula CL Automerina auletes CL Automerina vala LR Automeris janus CL/HK Automeris egeus CL Automeris larra CL Automeris boops CL Automeris moresca CL Automeris hamata HK Automeris duchartrei CL/HK Automeris jucunda CL Automeris cinctistriga CL/HK Automeris gabriellae CL Automeris midea CL Automeris liberia CL/HK Automeris a. subobsc. CL/HK Automeris abdomina. CL/HK Automeris curvilinea CL/HK Automeris denticulata HK Automeris v. pichinche. CL Automeris annulata LR Automeris atrolimb. CL/HK Automeris harrisorum CL Automeris pomifera CL/HK Automeris schwartzi CL/HK Automeris styx CL Automeris grammodes CL Automeris heppneri CL Automeris orestes CL Automeris alticola CL Automeris caucensis WO? Automeris napoenis CL Automeris innoxia LR Catacantha stramentalis CL Cerodirphia brunnea CL Cerodirphia m. napoensis CL Cerodirphia nadiana CL Cerodirphia speciosa CL/HK Cerodirphia w. roseissima CL Dirphia aculea CL/HK Dirphia avia CL Dirphia crassifurca Dirphia f. fraterna CL Dirphia horca CL Dirphia napoensis CL Dirphia p. fassli CL Dirphia radiata CL Dirphia s. confluens CL Dirphiopsis flora CL?? Dirphiopsis orientalis Eryth. obscurior HK Gamelia abasia CL Gamelia neidhoeferi CL Gamelia rindgei CL Gamelia rubriluna CL Gamelia viettei CL Gamelioides anneliesae Gamelioides elainae CL Hirpida guajoni CL Hirpida nigrolinea CL Hylesia andensis CL Hylesia aeneides CL Hylesia angulex CL Hylesia annulata CL Hylesia athlia CL Hylesia bouvereti CL Hylesia canitia CL Hylesia cottica CL Hylesia g. orbana CL Hylesia gyrex CL Hylesia index CL Hylesia indurata CL Hylesia leilex CL Hylesia melanops CL Hyl. melanostigma CL Hylesia metabus CL Hylesia moronensis CL Hylesia mymex CL Hylesia nanus CL Hylesia olivenca CL Hylesia pauper CL Hylesia p. praeda CL Hylesia r. thaumex CL Hylesia rex CL Hylesia roseata CL Hylesia subcottica CL Hylesia subfasciata CL Hylesia tapareba CL Hylesia teratex CL Hylesia terrosex CL Hylesia umbrata CL Hylesiopsis festiva CL Hyperchiria acuta CL Hyperchiria nausica CL H. nausioccidentalis B&M Hypermerina kasyi CL Leucanella apollinairei CL Leucanella c. contempta CL Leucanella contei CL Leucanella lynx CL Leucanella maasseni CL Lonomia achelous CL Lonomia descimoni CL Lonomia francescae LR Lon. vanschaycki Meroleucoides famula CL Meroleucoides nata CL Meroleucoides penai CL Meroleucoides rectilineata CL Molippa azuelensis CL Molippa latemedia CL Molippa simillima CL Paradirphia andicola CL Paradirphia oblita CL Periga extensiva CL Periga galbimaculata CL Periga herbini LR P. inexspectata LTR Periga lobulata CL Periga occidentalis CL Periga parvibulbacea CL Periphoba hircia CL Periphoba porioni CL Pseudautomeris i. armin. CL Pseudautomeris lata CL Pseudautomeris pohli CL Pseudautomeris yourii WO/HK Pseudodirphia andicola CL Pseudodirphia agis CL Pseudodir. eumedidoides CL Pseudodirphia infuscata CL Pseudodirphia obliqua CL Pseudodirphia peruviana CL Pseudodirphia thiacourti CL Pseudodirphia uniformis CL

In September of 2007 Luiji Racheli sent me a print of his research on Saturniidae species from the Cosanga area (2150-2230m) and the Cordillera de Huacumayos (1700-1800m). The Huacamayo area is only a short distance (5-10km) southeast of the Cosanga area, but the altitudinal difference is probably responsible for the much greater diversity of species at lower elevation.

Arsenurinae Arsenura cymonia Parad. p. platydesmia Rh. h. hippodamia Saturniinae Copaxa andensis Copaxa ex. expandens Copaxa orientalis Roths. ari. xanthina Roths. lebeau inca Roths. o. peruviana Ceratocampinae Adelo. acuta A. c. catoxantha Bathyph. eminens Bathyph. flavior Citi. homoea Citheronia andina E. o. violacea Rachesa breteuili Rachesa nisa CL Rach. reventador Schaus. carabaya Syss. bidens Syss. nr ocellata

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Hemileucinae Automerina cypria Automeris boops Autom. duchartrei Autom. a. subobsc. Autom. abdominalis Autom. harrisorum Autom. pomifera Autom. grammodes Autom. alticola Autom. napoenis Cat. stramentalis Cero. m. napoensis Cero. nadiana Cero. w. roseissima Dirphia avia Dirphia f. fraterna Dirphia horca Dirphia napoensis Dirphia s. confluens Dirphiopsis flora Gamelia neidhoeferi Hirpida guajoni Hirpida nigrolinea Hylesia andensis Hylesia bouvereti Hylesia g. orbana Hylesia leilex Hylesia mymex Hylesia nanus

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Hemileucinae Hylesia pauper Hylesia p. praeda Hylesia roseata Hylesia terrosex Hylesiopsis festiva Hyperchiria acuta Hyperc. nausica Leuc. c. contempta Leucanella contei Leucanella lynx Lonomia francescae Merol. rectilineata Mol. azuelensis Mol. simillima Parad. andicola Per. galbimaculata Periga lobulata Periga occidentalis Per. parvibulbacea Periphoba porioni Pseudaut. i. armin. Pseudaut. pohli Pseud. yourii Pseudod. andicola Pseudod. infuscata Pseudod. peruviana Ps. thiacourti

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