KENTROLEUCA OF THE WORLD

The genus Kentroleuca belongs to the Subfamily Hemileucinae in the Saturniidae Family. Larvae probably have urticating spines, but as of publication in 2002 of Lemaire's Hemileucinae, no hostplants or larval descriptions were known, and that may still be the case as of February, 2020.

Thus far members of this group seem confined to cerrado (grasslands, caatinga and savanna regions) of central Brazil: Maranhao and Ceara to Parana and in similar regions in Bolivia. Maybe the larvae feed upon grasses and weeds and are literally "overlooked".

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

New for 2019:

P vanschaycki Brechlin, 2019 Brazil: Maranhao
P sinjaevi Brechlin, 2019 Bolivia: LaPaz; Santa Cruz

Listing of Kentroleuca, grouped by appearance

P lineosa (Walker, 1855) Brazil, Bolivia

P dukinfieldi (Schaus, 1894) Brazil
P brunneategulata Mielke and Furtado, 2006 Brazil

P albilinea (Schaus, 1908) Brazil, Bolivia
P vanschaycki Brechlin, 2019 Brazil: Maranhao
P sinjaevi Brechlin, 2019 Bolivia: LaPaz; Santa Cruz
P novaholandensis Lemaire & Mielke, 2001 Brazil

P boliviensis Brechlin and Meister (2002?) Bolivia
P griseoalbata Mielke and Furtado, 2006 Brazil
P spitzi Lemaire, 1971 Brazil, Bolivia

Kentroleuca lineosa, Very Accentuated Wing Veins Kentroleuca lineosa male Kentroleuca lineosa female m: 52-59mm; f: 58-65mm; 720m gc: dark grey; fw om and pml oblique thin orange veins outlined in very thick whitish-yellow; hw pm line strongly convex, subparallel; close to outer margin white striga parallel to inner margin, not reaching outer margin Brazil: Federal District; Goias; Minas Geras: Sao Roque de Minas; (?? Mato Grosso ?); Bolivia: ?? Kentroleuca dukinfieldi and Kentroleuca brunneategulata, Very Convex OM and PML; Very Reduced White Cell Striga Kentroleuca dukinfieldi male >Kentroleuca dukinfieldi male Kentroleuca dukinfieldi female m: 50-66mm; f:68-78mm; 300-400m; sympatric with lineosa, albilinea and spitzi in Goias FW gc: dark black; fw am line obscure or all black, w/o strong white striga in fw cell; pml and outer margins convex; veins less accentuated in basal median area; HW pml less distant from om than in brunneategulata; Brazil: Go; Ma Gr; MGdS; Parana Kentroleuca brunneategulata male Kentroleuca brunneategulata male Kentroleuca brunneategulata female male: 50-57mm; f: 70-74mm elevation: ?? Fw gc: grey fw veins whitish in basal-median area, more orangey in pm area, more prominaent than in dukinfieldi; without strong white striga in fw cell; lines and outer margins convex; hw pml more remote from outer margin than in dukinfieldi Brazil: Fed. Dist.; Parana Kentroleuca spitzi, Kentroleuca griseoalbata and Kentroleuca boliviensis, Very Convex OM, but Relatively Straight PML; Thick White Cell Striga Kentroleuca spitzi male Kentroleuca spitzi male Kentroleuca spitzi female m: 44-54mm; f: 56-78mm elevation: 2400m in Bolivia; lower in Brazil Gc: all wings: uniform grey Fw pm line: white, thick, oblique, bordered in thin black on both sides Brazil: Distrito Federal: Goias; probably Tocantins & Mato Grosso & Mato Grosso do Sul Bolivia: Santa Cruz: Caballero (2400m) Kentroleuca griseoalbata male Kentroleuca griseoalbata male Kentroleuca griseoalbata female m: 58-64(RSL)mm; f: 68mm elevation: 740m Gc: uniform grey except for off-white hindwing basal median area in male Fw pml: thick, white, slightly convex with slight outward turn near inner margin Brazil: Sao Paulo: Itarare; northern Parana Kentroleuca boliviensis male Kentroleuca boliviensis male Kentroleuca boliviensis male male: 64-66mm GC: uniform dark grey to black on all wings relatively thin, white, slightly oblique fw pm line hw pm line: white, quite thin, subparallel to outer margin HW: Strong white line from body to cell Bolivia: Chuquisaca: Padilla Kentroleuca sinjaevi, Kentroleuca nohavalandensis, Kentroleuca albilineata, and Kentroleuca vanschaycki, Much Less Convex OM, but Relatively Straight PML; Thick White Cell Striga, Extensive White Scaling in Male Hindwing Basal-median Area Kentroleuca albilinea male Kentroleuca albilinea male Kentroleuca albilinea female male wingspan: 60-72mm elevation: 720-990m gc grey; veins orange, not boldly outlined as in lineosa; fw outer margin slightly oblique, less than lineosa male hw basal-median area mostly off-white strong extension of second lowest white vein into pm area on all wings Brazil: FD; Go; Mi Ge; SP Bolivia: Santa Cruz; possibly sinjaevi in Santa Cruz Kentroleuca sinjaevi male Kentroleuca sinjaevi male Kentroleuca sinjaevi female m: 78mm; f: 83mm // mfwl: 33-38mm; ffwl: 45mm) Very extensive white scaling in hindwing basal median area Bolivia: LaPaz: Santa Rosa de Lima (1460m); Santa Cruz: Cordillera. It is probably also found in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Kentroleuca novaholandensis Kentroleuca novaholandensis male, Maranhao Kentroleuca novaholandensis female m: 64mm; f: 77-91mm elevation: 550m rusty-brown ground colour forewings slightly elongate; slightly convex forewing outer margin thin, unbordered, orange veins white pm line straight, bordered in black Brazil: Maranhao; Ceara?? Kentroleuca vanschaycki male Kentroleuca vanschaycki fwmale m: 64-67mm; f: larger elevation: 450m rusty-brown ground colour forewings slightly elongate; slightly convex forewing outer margin thin, unbordered, orange veins white pm line slightly convex, wider than in novaholandensis, bordered in black Brazil: Maranhao; probably also Ceara??

Ryan Saint Laurent sent me the image below from the Cornell University Collection in June 2013. The specimen clearly has a convex outer margin and a strong white striga parallel to the forewing inner margin, placing it in the group with spitzi, griseoalbata and boliviensis.

I think it is most likely K. griseoalbata due to the off-white region in the hindwing basal median area, but it could also be something undescribed.

Kentroleuca griseoalbata male, 64mm, North Parana, Brazil,
Cornell University Collection, courtesy of Ryan Saint Laurent

The following specimen has the reddish colouration of novaholandensis, but the thick, slightly more oblique pm line is more suggestive of abilinea.

Kentroleuca novaholandensis/vanschaycki (I favour vanschaycki) female, Crato (southeastern Ceara), Ceara, Brazil,
January 28, 2007, courtesy of Rich Hoyer.

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