AUTOMERULA OF THE WORLD

Automerula is a subgenus of Automerina and belongs to the Subfamily Hemileucinae in the Saturniidae Family. Larvae have a dense covering of urticating spines.

Automerina (Automerula) auletes, sixth instar larva courtesy of Rodolphe Rougerie.

In 2011, Brechlin and Meister published images and brief descriptions of six new Automerina species, two of which belong to subgenus Automerula.

Two of the new species, Automerina (Automerula) bahiletes, from northeastern Brazil (Bahia), and Automerina (Automerula) yungasletes, from northwestern Bolivia (La Paz: Yungas), are very similar to A. (A.) auletes. In 2002, Claude Lemaire, described Automerina (Automerula) beneluzi from French Guiana, noting that beneluzi males, compared to auletes males, 1) are smaller, 2) have less produced forewing apices, 3) have a less falcate appearance, and 4) have much more rounded, less pointed forewing apices. Otherwise, the two species are identical in appearance.

As is almost always true with all new species, precise ranges are unknown. Lemaire indicates that A. auletes and A. beneluzi are sympatric in French Guiana, but the characters distinguishing them are consistent without intergradation.

I looked at the images present on the WLSS "auletes" page, hoping to find, either by location and/or appearance, some specimens that might fit into the bahiletes or yungasletes descriptions. Both bahiletes and yungasletes have very produced, pointed forewing apices (even more so than auletes)). Both are larger than auletes with bahiletes being the largest.

I was quite pleased to find a pair of moths from Beni, Bolivia, courtesy of Thibaud Decaens and G. LeCourt. I thought because of location they might be yungasletes. Clearly, however, the male in the pair is a better match for beneluzi, so I have moved the pair to the beneluzi file and have added northwestern Bolivia into the range of beneluzi. That would also imply, if correct, that beneluzi would also likely be found in the under-explored Brazilian states of Amapa, Para, Amazonas and Rondonia, between French Guiana and northwestern Bolivia.

Automerina (Automerula) beneluzi, Beni, Bolivia,
courtesy of Thibaud Decaens and G. Lecourt,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke

Both yungasletes and bahiletes have strong "S-shaped" outer margin on right forewing. Bahiletes is biggest followed by yungasletes, then auletes, then smallest beneluzi.

It is possible/likely that yungasletes and bahiletes have more extended ranges, and they may be sympatric in some places with auletes and beneluzi. Without wingspans and good images, it will be difficult to sort them out from pictures.

P indicates an image is available. The first country listed is the specimen type locality.

Listing of Automerula

P auletes (Herrich-Schaffer, [1854]) Suriname, Panama, French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil; ? Guyana
N bahiletes Brechlin & Meister 2011 Brazil
P beneluzi Lemaire, 2002 French Guiana
N yungasletes Brechlin & Meister 2011 Bolivia

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