DISTRIBUTION:

Automeris duchartrei (wingspan: males: 76-90mm; females: 89-105mm) flies in humid tropical forests at elevations from sea level to 1600 m in
Colombia: Valle, Caldas;
and from Ecuador: Canar, Sucumbios, Napo, Pastaza: (Rio Landayacu HK), Morona-Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe (BF); and
Costa Rica: Cartago, San Jose, probably (Puntarenas (WO?)); to
Peru: Amazonas (TLR), Huanuco, Junin, Madre de Dios.
Lemaire also includes
Venezuela: Bolivar, Amazonas, Federal District;
French Guiana: Camopi, Saul; * Frederic Beneluz reports that A. duchartrei is not found in French Guiana, but is replaced there by very similar species: Automeris despicata and Automeris goodsoni;
Bolivia: La Paz, Beni, Cochabamba; and
Brazil: Mato Grosso, (probably Para, Amapa, Amazonas, Roraima, Rondinia (WO?)).

I suspect there are also populations in Guyana and Suriname.

I suspect it also flies in Panama (WO?).

Lemaire groups hamata, balachowskyi, wayampi, rostralis, duchartrei, goodsoni, meridionalis, jucunda, tamsi, chacona, chacona rectilineata and rectilinea based on genitalia, with all having the yellow ring of the eyespot very narrowly surrounded with black as well as a suffusion of black scales on the inner side of the hindwing yellow postmedial band. These moths do not have ringed abdomens.

* Frederic Beneluz (2013) reports that A. duchartrei is not found in French Guiana, but is replaced there by very similar species: Automeris despicata and Automeris goodsoni. My extrapolations for Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, could be incorrect.

Automeris duchartrei male (verso), Satipo, Junin, Peru,
September 5, 2007, 632m, courtesy of Frederic Beneluz.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing throughout much of the year.

Natural larval hosts are unknown; Kirby Wolfe reports rearing success with Robinia pseudoacacia.

Automeris duchartrei females, Napo, Ecuador, courtesy of Luigi Racheli.

Automeris duchartrei female, Copalinga Lodge, Podocarpus NP, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador,
February 5, 2014, 1100m, courtersy of Brian Fletcher, id and slight digital repair by Bill Oehlke.

Automeris duchartrei female, Copalinga Lodge, Podocarpus NP, Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador,
February 5, 2014, 1100m, courtersy of Brian Fletcher, id by Bill Oehlke.

Automeris duchartrei female, Shima, Junin, Peru,
mid May, 2014, 450m, courtesy of John Christensen.

Automeris duchartrei female, Shima, Junin, Peru,
mid May, 2014, 450m, courtesy of John Christensen.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use their more highly developed antennae to seek out females who release an airbourne pheromone into the night sky.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters of 6-40+ on hostplant twigs. Larvae have urticating spines and are gregarious, especially in the early instars.

Automeris duchartrei copyright Kirby Wolfe.

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.

Robinia pseudoacacia........

False acacia

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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.

I am not aware of the source for Automeris, but duchartrei is honourific for Duchartre.