Kentroleuca vanschaycki
Updated as per Entomo-Satsphingia Jahrgang 12 Heft 01 25 01 2019; February 21, 2020

Kentroleuca vanschaycki
ken-troh-LOO-kuhMvan-SHAKE-eye
Brechlin, 2019

Kentroleuca vanschaycki HT male, Serra do Penitente, Balsas, Maranhao, Brazil,
66mm, 450m, December, 2006, courtedy of Eric Van Schayck.

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

Kentroleuca novaholandensis male, wingspan 64 mm,
Serra do Penitente, Balsas, Maranhão, Brazil, courtesy of Eurides Furtado, copyright.
Note much narrower white postmedian line on novaholandensis (directly above),
compared to much wider white postmedian line of vanschaycki in first two images.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Tribe: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Genus: Kentroleuca, Draudt, 1930

DISTRIBUTION:

Kentroleuca vanschaycki (wingspan: males: 78mm; females: 83mm // mfwl: 33-38mm; ffwl: 45mm) flies in
Brazil: Maranhao, Serra do Penitente, Balsas, Brazil, at elevations near 450m.

I feel it also likely flies in Crota, Ceara, Brazil, based on Rick Hoyer image.

It is probably sympatric with the very similar, Kentroleuca novaholandensis, but the pm line in both the forewing and hindwing is further removed from the outer margin in vanschaycki, and the white pm line is perhaps slightly concave and thicker in vanschaycki, compared to novaholandensis

Kentroleuca vanschaycki HT male, Serra do Penitente, Balsas, Maranhao, Brazil,
65mm, 450m, December, 2006, courtedy of Entomo-Satsphingia.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Kentroleuca vanschaycki larval hosts are unknown. Moths are on the wing in December, possibly as a single brooded species.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use well-developed antennae to seek out females which probably scent at night.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Typical of species in the Genus Kentroleuca and the Subfamily Hemileucinae, the larvae are probably armed with urticating spines.

Larval Food Plants


It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Return to Main Saturniidae Index

Return to Kentroleuca Genus, with Species Comparison Table

The pronunciation of scientific names is troublesome for many. The "suggestion" at the top of the page is merely a suggestion. It is based on commonly accepted English pronunciation of Greek or Latin names and/or some fairly well accepted "rules" for latinized scientific names.

The suggested pronunciations, on this page and on other pages, are primarily put forward to assist those who hear with internal ears as they read.

There are many collectors from different countries whose intonations and accents would be different.

For the honourific names, I have maintained the pronunciation of the honoured person's name rather than place the accent on the next to last syllable.

The species name "vanschayckii" is honorific for collector Erik Van Schayck.

The genus name, Kentroleuca, possibly refers to the accentuated presence of white markings on the type species, Kentroleuca lineosa, or it may refer to the spur-like projection formed by the intersection of the am line and the prominent white line paralleling the forewing inner margin.

This page is designed and maintained by Bill Oehlke as part of the World's Largest Saturniidae Site.

Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page.


Support this website and visit other insect sites by
clicking flashing butterfly links to left or right.