DISTRIBUTION:

Arsenura archianassa porioni (wingspan: males: 99-121mm; females: 139mm) flies only in semiarid regions of
southwestern Ecuador: Manabi. Racheli and Racheli, 2006, indicate possibilities for a range extension into Los Rios and Canar, but also indicate that this moth is probably the same as Arsenura archianassa archianassa.

This subspecies is smaller and slightly darker than Arsenura armida, and it was at one time designated as a subspecies of armida, until Lemaire & Venedictoff elevated archianassa to full species status in 1989.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There are possibly two annual generations of the Arsenura archianassa porioni moth with adults on the wing in January-February and then possibly again in July, but it may be too hot and dry for this second brood.

Arsenura archianassa porioni female, western Ecuador,
wingspan 140mm, courtesy of Kelly Price.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use their antennae to seek out females which scent at night. The lower wings of the female (above) are much more rounded than those of the male.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

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.

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", honour a contempory friend/collector/etc.

I do not know the source of the genus name "Arsenura" chosen by Duncan in 1841.

The species name "archianassa" is perhaps for Archianassa, a reported mistress of Plato.

The subspecies name "porioni" is honourific for T. Porion.

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