Asthenidia diffissa diffissa
Jordan, 1924

Asthenidia diffissa diffissa courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 or Family: Oxytenidae, Jordan, 1924 Subfamily: Oxyteninae, Jordan, 1924 Genus: Asthenidia, Westwood, 1879

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DISTRIBUTION:

Asthenidia diffissa diffissa (wingspan: males: 58mm; females: ??) flies in
Brazil;
Ecuador;
Peru; Bolivia; and
probably Guyana and
maybe French Guiana ??.

Ryan Saint Laurent sends the following image from the Cornell University Collection. I am not sure which diffissa subspecies flies in Chapare, Bolivia, possibly diffissa tridens??

Asthenidia diffissa tridens ??, Chapare, Bolivia,
August 24, 1949, courtesy of Ryan Saint Laurent, Cornell University Collection.

In some taxonomies, the Oxyteninae are treated as a subfamily of Oxytenidae rather than as a subfamily of Saturniidae.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

The Asthenidia diffissa diffissa moth probably broods continuously. It is reported in French Guiana in February.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

Like the other Oxyteninae, Asthenidia larvae have sticky glands on all body segments.

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.

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Asthenidia diffissa diffissa male, French Guiana,
May 2004, collection of Bruno Penin, photo copyright Rene Lahousse,
French Guiana Systematique.