DISTRIBUTION:

Almeidella approximans (wingspan: males: 51-72mm; females: 68-90mm) flies in
Brazil: Parana (CM), Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.

Almeidella approximans male, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Almeidella approximans male, 57mm, Sao Bento do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
December, 2013, courtesy of Philippe Brems.

This species is duller and greyer in the subcostal area of the forewing when compared to almeidai. The hindwing is a washed out purplish grey.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS: Almeidella approximans flies in October-November, and into early December. Larval hosts are unknown. Almeidella approximans female, verso, All Leps Barcode of Life. The female ventral hindwing is quite light.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Adult Almeidella approximans moths emerge from subterranean pupae, and males are slightly smaller than females.

Almeidella approximans female, 90mm, courtesy of Frank Meister.

Almeidella approximans female, Claude Lemaire.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Night-flying females lay translucent eggs on host plant leaves. The developing larvae can be seen through the egg shells.

Larvae pupate underground in small chambers.

Care of larvae and pupae should be as for any Neotropical species.

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 Ameidella Index

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 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.

Some of the early describers/namers chose genus and species names indicating some character of the insect, but more often, they simply chose names from Greek or Roman mythology or history.

Those species names which end in "ensis" indicate a specimen locale, and those which end in "i", pronounced "eye", honoura contempory friend/collector/etc.

I do not know the source of the genus name "Almeidella" but it probably comes from Almeida, a family name in Brazil. Since Almeidaia had already been utilized for a genus in the Arsenurinae family, Almeidella was chosen for this genus.

The origin of the species name "approximans" is unknown to me.