DISTRIBUTION:

Automeris grammodes (wingspan: males: 56-62mm; females: 61-77mm) flies in
Peru: San Martin, Huanuco, Pasco, Madre de Dios, Puno and probably Junin and Cusco; and generally from
Ecuador: Pichincha, Bolivar, Canar, Napo and Tungurahua; to
Bolivia: La Paz and Cochabamba.

Ezequiel Osvaldo Núñez Bustos sent me a paper in August 2015 which includes Automeris grammodes in northwestern Argentina.

Lemaire indicates there is a white dot present in the forewing cell of the lectotype from Puno, and he indicates that the hindwing dorsal surface is all yellow except for the ocellus and pm line.

Automeris grammodes male, Flor de Cafe/Plataforma, Cordillera Azul, San Martin, Peru,
June 27, 2019, 1600m, courtesy of Jonathan Newman, id by Bill Oehlke.

A thin, dark, nearly straight transverse line, inwardly lined with bright yellow, intersects the inner margin very close to the body. The am line and the subterminal line are vestigial at best.

The cell area is usually concolorous (sometimes greyish), and it is highlighted by a small white central dot and sometimes periphery black dots. The hindwing is uniformly orange-yellow with a smooth black band and a small eyespot. It does not show the muddly brown apex and costal areas found in A. heppneri.

This moth has been taken at elevations from 650m to 2170m.

The holotype male from Balsapampa, Bolivar, Ecuador (western slopes) is now recognized (Brechlin & Meister 2011) as a separate, valid species, Automeris unifasciatus. The lectotype, designated by Lemaire, is from Carabaya, Puno, Peru. I believe those specimens from the western slopes of Ecuador (Pichincha; Bolivar, Canar, etc.) are A. unifasciatus.

Brechlin and Meister have described a number of new, very similar species in 2011. I have moved the images (previously on this page) supplied by Thibaud Decaens to Automeris grammoboliviana file and have moved the image supplied by Hubert Mayer to the Automeris peggyae file. I also found some beautiful images sent to me by Bernhard Wenczel. I believe they are A. peggyae and have placed them on that file.

I do not have the location for the Kirby Wolfe images of larva and adult on this page, but based on dark forewing cell mark and darker ground colour to the forewing, I think they might also be Automeris peggyae.

A. grammodes may be more restricted in its range than indicated above. Possibly it only flies in eastern Ecuador and eastern Peru, being replaced by a number of similar species in western Ecuador (unifasciatus); in western Peru (grammopiurensis) and north western Bolivia (grammoboliviana); possibly it is sympatric with some or all of the Peruvian/Bolivian species; possibly it is only in southern Peru. I think there will probably be some confusion for many years. DNA barcoding may be required to make final determinations.

Brechlin & Meister indicate the specimens (5 and 6 on Plate 63) depicted as A. grammodes in Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002 are actually A. grammoboliviana. On that same plate Item 7 is probably peggyae, and Item 8 is A. heppneri. I also suspect that Item 4 from western Canar, Ecuador, is A. unifasciatus, and Item 3 from Huanuco, Peru, might be grammodes, grammocuscoensis or grammocajamarcensis.

Visit Automeris grammodes Group Comparison Plate to see thumbnails of available species from the Automeris grammodes Group, with notes to hopefully help determine species.

Automeris grammodes possibly peggyae male, Andes of South America,
courtesy of Kirby Wolfe.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Bernhard Wenczel reports he has reared them successfully on bamboo, Phyllostachis species.

Kirby Wolfe reports success with Phyllostachys nigra.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males, smaller than females, 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 grammodes possibly peggyae larva, Andes of South America,
courtesy of 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.

Phyllostachis Phyllostachys nigra.......

Bamboo Black bamboo

Return to Main Saturniidae Index

Return to Automeris Genus

Group IX Automeris grammodes:
P grammodes Jordan, 1910 Peru: Puno, ?Ecuador?, ?Bolivia?
unifasciatus Bouvier, 1927, western Ecuador, was a synonym for grammodes; now has full species status
P grammoboliviana Brechlin & Meister 2011, Bolivia: La Paz; Santa Cruz; Cochabamba
P grammocuscoensis Brechlin & Meister 2011 Peru: Cusco (HT): Valle de Quilabamba; Manu Park: San Pedro; Vallee de Quillabamba
P heppneri Lemaire, 1982 eastern Peru: Madre de Dios; eastern Ecuador: Napo
P peggyae Brechlin & Meister 2011 1 Peru: Junin: Calabaza; Peru: Pasco: Oxapampa
N grammocajamarcensis Brechlin & Meister 2011 1 northern Peru: Cajamarca: Cutervo
N grammopiurensis Brechlin & Meister 2011 1 western Peru: Piura: Huancabamba
N unifasciatus Bouvier, 1927 western Ecuador: Bolivar: Balsapampa; Pichincha
N uniorientalis Brechlin, Kaech & Meister 2013 3 Eastern Ecuador: Napo; Morona Santiago; Zamora-Chinchipe
P suteri Naumann, Brosch, & Wenczel, 2005 Peru: Pasco: Oxapampa: La Suiza
P haxairei Herbin, 2003 Bolivia

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