DISTRIBUTION:

Automeris masti (wingspan: males: 46-50mm-54??mm; females: probably larger) flies in
southeastern Peru: Madre de Dios; Cusco; Puno: Carabaya: Gavan; at low to middle elevations (400-1800m) along the eastern slopes of the Andes.

I believe it also flies in Bolivia in LaPaz: Coroico; Cochabamba; and Santa Cruz: Puerto Greether, Ichilo, along the northern slopes of the same Andean range.

Automeris masti male, Coroico, LaPaz, Bolivia, courtesy of Ale Borquez,
on my home computer only.

Automeris masti male??, 46mm, Puerto Greether, Ichilo, Santa Cruz, Bolivia,
August, 1950, 250m, Cornell University Collection, via Ryan Saint Laurent

Regarding the specimen above from Ichilo, it is similar to Automeris masti, but it may be different based on geographic location as well as the placement of the forewing cell mark. I have not seen any new name put forward as of 2022, and, more and more, I think masti flies in both southeastern Peru and Bolivia along the Andean slopes. Bill Oehlke

Automeris masti male, 52mm, Cusco, Peru, courtesy of Frank Meister;
digital repair of copying left forewing to right side may cause inaccuracies.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in July-August and October-November-December.

Larval hosts are unknown.

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.

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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Return to Automeris Genus