Arsenura cymonia
Ar-sen-OOR-uhMsigh-MOH-nee-uh
(W. Rothschild, 1907)
Rhescyntis
Arsenura cymonia male (most likely centrocymonia), Peru,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.
TAXONOMY:Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 |
"The Girl from Ipanema"
midi by Mel WebbON.OFF |
DISTRIBUTION:
Arsenura cymonia (wingspan: approximately 125mm) flies at
moderate elevations from 1100m to 2000m in
Ecuador:
Sucumbios WO?,
Napo CL/HK,
western Pastaza WO?,
Tungurahua CL,
Morona-Santiago LTR,
Zamora Chinchipe; and in
Peru: Cajamarca, Huanuco, Junin, Cuzco, Puno and probably Amazonas WO? and San Martin WO?; and
Bolivia: Cochabamba
on the eastern slopes of the Andes.
Please note, I have no confirmed reports for those species followed by my initials (WO?), but I feel they might be present. Based upon Entomo-Satsphingia journals, published 2010-2013, many specimens in collections, previously thought to be cymonia, may in fact be other species. see the comparison plate at bottom of this page. The range of true cymonia (limited to southern Peru: Cusco, Madre de Dios, Puno: Carabaya) may be more limited than expressed above. Tha male's antennae are more broadly quadripectinate than in all other Arsenura species outside the Cymonia Groupe. The upper branch of the dark am line is present and meets the lower branch at a very obtuse angle. The discal spot is slightly lunulate, ie, rounded on inner edge, straight to slightly concave on outer edge.
Arsenura cymonia male, Madre de Dios, Peru,
on my home computer only.
Arsenura cymonia male (verso), Cusco, Peru,
on my home computer only.
Arsenura cymonia moth (male) (most likely yungascymonia),
courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.
FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:
There are probably two generations of Arsenura cymonia on the wing each year from January to February and in April (LC) and in July-August. Moths prefer a light rain and are on the wing from 12:10-3:30 am.
Horst Kach reports larvae feed on Actinidaceae: Saurauia sp.; Ericaceae: Psamisia sp.; Urticaceae: Miriocarpa sp., Bohmeria sp.; Malvaceae: Wercklea sp.
Arsenura cymonia moth (female) (most likely yungascymonia),
courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.
ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:
Arsenurini 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. Females also tend to be much larger than males.
EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE: Larvae descend tree trunks at maturity to pupate in subterranean chambers.
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.
EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE: Larvae descend tree trunks at maturity to pupate in subterranean chambers.
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.
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.
Saurauia |
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.
Neither do I know the source of the species name "Cymonia". It may be a variant spelling of Symonia.
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