EUBERGIA OF THE WORLD

The genus Eubergia belongs to the Subfamily Hemileucinae in the Saturniidae Family. Larvae have urticating spines.

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

Listing of Eubergia

P conceptiona Brechlin & Meister, 2015 Paraguay: Conception: Estancia Garay Cue, 210m
P drechseli Brechlin & Meister, 2015 Paraguay: Conception: Estancia Garay Cue, 210m; ??Brazil: Mato Grosso do Sul??
P paraguari Brechlin & Meister, 2015 Paraguay: Paraguari: S of Sapucai, 200m
N peggyae Brechlin & Meister, 2015 Brazil: Bahia: Mepio Jussiape; Parana: Mepio Curitiba, 500-700m




P argyrea (Weymer, 1908) Brazil
P altoparanensis Brechlin & Meister 2011 Paraguay: Alto Parana: Estancia Dimas, -35.5356, -55.2178, collected by U. Drechsel, 2005-01-08.
P boetifica (Druce, 1899) northern Paraguay
P caisa (Berg, 1883) Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia
Ormiscodes boetifica (Druce, 1899), Paraguay, is a synonym for caisa
Heliconisa Bedoci Bouvier, 1925, Brazil, is a synonym for caisa
baetifica f. rufa Bouvier, 1930, Brazil, ?is? a synonym for caisa; more likely synonym of santacruziana (B&M)
N chuquisaciana Brechlin & Meister 2011 Bolivia
P radians (Dognin, 1911) Argentina, Bolivia
N santacruziana Brechlin & Meister 2011 Bolivia: Santa Cruz: Chiquitos; ??Brazil: Mato Grosso: Rd Cuiaba to Corumba; probably Mato Grosso do Sul; possibly ?? northern Paraguay
P sinjaevorum Brechlin & Meister 2011 Bolivia: Santa Cruz: Pampa Grande, 1360m

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Visit comparison plate and commentary on Eubergia species

Of the twelve species listed above, only E. argyrea has the prominent red pupil in the hindwing eyespot. It is also more isolated, with a presence so far documented only in northeastern-northcentral Brazil: Ceara; Pernambuco; Sergipe; Bahia.

Lemaire, 2002, synonymized boetifica and boetifica form rufa with Eubergia caisa, and I had previously "reinstated" boetifica in the above list, based on a specimen provided from Boqueron, Paraguay, that was definitely (to my eyes) not caisa. I know feel the Boqueron moth is either Eubergia sinjaevorum or Eubergia boetifica. In Entomo-Satsphingia, Brechlin and Meister indicate that the Holotype of E. boetifica form rufa from Mato Grosso, Brazil, in D'Abrera 1995: 159, is an example of Eubergia santacruziana. Perhaps boetifica is not a valid species, but BOLD systems still lists it, showing moths with an am line parallel to the pm line, much different than in caisa where the am line is parallel to the costa.

Paraguay is apparently host to as many as five Eubergia species: caisa??; altoparanensis; conceptiona; drechseli; paraguari. They are all quite similar.

E. altoparanensis (wingspan: males: 41-45mm; females: unknown) is considerably larger than E. caisa (wingspan: males: 32-42mm; females: 44-48mm), and E. altoparanensis has a hindwing that is almost entirely brilliant white except for the prominent dark cell spot and charcoal grey bars, reduced in both thickness and length on both sides of the reddish veins in the submarginal area. The forewing also shows more white than in other species with a broad, slightly concave pm lines, and more white between the charcoal grey surronding the red wing veins. The forewing outer margin is slightly convex, and the apex is more triangular than in E. caisa where the apex is more rounded.

Bolivia now hosts as many as five Eubergia species: caisa??; chuquisaciana; radians; santacruziana; sinjaevorum.

In many cases the females of Eubergia species remain unknown, and for E. paraguari the male is as yet undetermined and undescribed. I have not seen images or descriptions of any larvae, but it appears that eggs are deposited enmasse in female hair "nests". As many of the more recently (2011-2015) described Eubergia species are extremely similar to caisa, described from Buenos Aires, Argentina, I am not sure if caisa enjoys the extensive range attributed to it by Lemaire, 2002: Argentina; Bolivia; Paraguay; Brazil. Perhaps many of the more recently described species, taken from collections where they wera listed as caisa replace caisa or are sympatric with it in its original described range. Lemaire's 2002 images of "caisa" are of specimens from Goias, Brazil. Perhaps they are true caisa, perhaps not. I have written a description (below) for caisa based on Lemaire's images and information.

E. caisa (wingspan: males: 32-42mm; females: 44-48mm) males are generally small, and the hindwings are white but not so brilliant as in altoparanensis. E. caisa males have grey suffusions into the median area above the dark, prominent hindwing cell, and the darker charcoal bars paralleling the reddish wing veins are more elongate in E. caisa. The forewing pm lne is very straight with a slight inturn at its juncture with the inner margin. Females have extensive grey in the hindwing basal median areas. The forewing outer margin in both sexes is convex.