Asthenidia lactucina lactucina
(Cramer, 1780) Phalaena

Asthenidia lactucina? male, Loreto, Peru,
September 12, 2008, courtesy of Shirley Sekarajasingham,
id by Bill Oehlke.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke.
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

DISTRIBUTION:

Asthenidia lactucina (wingspan: males: 48mm; females: ??) flies in
Suriname;
French Guiana: Maripasoula; near Kourou;
Ecuador: Napo, Zamora Chinchipe (LR), and probably Sucumbios, Pastaza and Morona-Santiago;
Peru: Loreto; Junin.

In 2014, Brechlin & Meister described the new Asthenidia lactucina lactandensis subspecies from eastern Ecuador and Peru on the Andean slopes.

I am pretty sure that Asthenidia lactucina lactucina, which was described from Suriname, is more of a Guiano-Amazonian species with a non-Andean range. Specimens from Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil and possibly non Andean Ecuador and non Andean Peru are more likely the nominate subspecies, Asthenidia lacucina lactucina.

I am not sure if the two subspecies can be distinguished without DNA analysis or examination of genitalia.

I think the image below from Mato Grosso, Brazil, is probably Asthenidia lactucina lactucina.

Asthenidia lactucina lactucina, Feliz Natal, Mato Grosso, Brazil,
March 25, 2019, courtesy of Lilian Tomazelli.

Peter Bruce-Jones reports a June 15, 2010, flight in
Peru: Junin: Shima.

Asthenidia lactucina lactucina male, Cruzeiro Sul, Acre, Brazil,
December 22, 2018, courtesy of Rafael Almeida.

I suspect ?? it also flies in northwestern Brazil??: (Para, Amazonas??, confirmed now [December 22, 2018] in Acre).

Asthenidia lactucina lactandensis male, September 7, 2007, Cando, Napo, Ecuador,
courtesy/copyright Horst Kach.

Asthenidia lactucina lactandensis male (verso), September 7, 2007, Cando, Napo, Ecuador,
courtesy/copyright Horst Kach.

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

Asthenidia lactucina?, Shima, Junin, Peru,
June 15, 2010, 700m, courtesy of Peter Bruce-Jones.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

The Asthenidia lactucina moth probably broods continuously. There are reports from French Guiana for January. I suspect ?? it flies in January-February, May-June-July and September-October, December, and posibly at other times. Peter Bruce-Jones reports a June flight in Junin, Peru.

Asthenidia lactucina?, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

Asthenidia lactucina lactucina, near Kourou, French Guiana,
December 14, 1997, courtesy of Emilie Chich, Project Noah.

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.

Return to Asthenidia Genus

Return to Main Saturniidae Index

The following image(s) may or may not appear on your monitor, depending upon whether or not I get permission from respective photographers/owners to display them. I do have permission for my own private use.

Asthenidia lactucina lactucina male, Maripasoula, French Guiana,
January 29, 1998, collection of Philippe Collet, photo copyright Rene Lahousse,
French Guiana Systematique.