DISTRIBUTION:

Arsenura sylla maranhensis (wingspan: males: mm; females: mm // forewing length: males: 75-80mm; females: mm) flies in
Brazil: Maranhao: Feira Nova, at elevations of 480m.

This subspecies tends to be smaller than other sylla subspecies. The forewing outer margin appears relatively straight, with no production of the apex nor concave regions. The forewing cell mark is thick, dark black, oblong, with a very narrow lighter interior.

The hindwing tail is relatively thick, but short in its projection.

Based on Entomo-Satsphingia Jahrgang 3 Heft 3 28.06.2010, examination of genitalia reveals four Arsenura sylla subspecies. There are also two A. thomsoni subspecies in the Sylla Group. See the comparison chart at the bottom of this page. A fifth sylla subspecies, Arsenura sylla maranhensis has been added in 2013. I do not have images for display of that subspecies from Maranhao, Brazil.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Arsenura sylla maranhensis is on the wing in January and probably in other months.

Larvae feed on ?

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use their antennae to seek out females which scent at night.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Mature larvae descend foodplant trunks and stems to pupate in subterranean chambers.

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.

Arsenura sylla Subgroup: sylla subspecies: Arsenura sylla sylla mfwl: 82-89mm; Nominate sylla is reported in Suriname, Venezuela, Guayanas, northern Brazil, eastern Ecuador and north eastern Peru as a Guayanan-Amazonian species. Although the four subspecies depicted in this table have slight character differences, I do not know how consistent those characters would be in a large series from each respective range area. Nominate sylla (left) seems to have the broadest, least apically produced forewings, with a relatively large crescentric forewing cell mark. A. s. niepelti (right) appears to have the smallest dark cell markings. Arsenura sylla niepelti mfwl: 85-95mm; Subspecies niepelti is reported from western Colombia, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama; and I am pretty sure it ranges into north western Ecuador. Arsenura sylla hercules mfwl: 89mm; Subspecies herucles is reported from southeastern Brazil: Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Parana, Sao Paulo. It is very large and has more coppery tint. Subspecies hercules (left) also has sub-crescentric fw cell mark and perhaps the least rounded fw apex. Hindwing projection suggest isosceles triangle in even taperings on both sides of projection. mfwl: 89-91mm; Subspecies winbrechlini (right) seems to have the most elongate forewings with a distinctly oval fw cell mark and markedly oblique outer margin. The lighter area along the costa has a slight orangey tint. Arsenura sylla winbrechlini Subspecies winbrechlini is reported thus far only from La Paz, Bolivia. Arsenura sylla maranhensis image on home computer only mfwl: 75-80mm; Maranhao, Brazil, 480m: Subspecies maranhensis (left) is thus far the smallest subspecies in the group. It appears the forewing apex is not at all produced. The fw outer margin is relatively straight without any concave section. The hindwing tail is relatively short and thick. The forewing cell mark is a thick, black, oblong shape with a narrow, elongate and lighter, interior streak. On the A. sylla sylla file there is an image, reported from eastern Ecuador, that looks more like subspecies hercules than it does sylla. Perhaps these moths are quite variable; perhaps some need to be synonymized; perhaps some need to be elevated to full species status with some range extensions, etc.. Arsenura sylla Subgroup: thomsoni subspecies: Arsenura thomsoni thomsoni French Guiana, Venezuela, Guyana, northern Brazil, probably Suriname as a Guyano-Amazonian species. Nominate thomsoni (left) is very similar to A. sylla sylla but basic ground colour is much paler, hinting toward yellow or olive brown. Hw white axis: almost nonexistent. Fw subterminal white line almost straight, without strong outward projections. Subspecies lemairei (right), which may be elevated to full species status, has hinwings without smooth outer margins. Arsenura thomsoni lemairei Subspecies lemairei is reported in north western Brazil and eastern Colombia, northeastern Ecuador and northern Peru.

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.

Some of the early describers/namers chose genus and species names indicating some character of the insect, but more often, they simply chose names from Greek or Roman mythology or history.

Those species names which end in "ensis" indicate a specimen locale, and those which end in "i", pronounced "eye", honour a contempory friend/collector/etc.

I do not know the source of the genus name "Arsenura" chosen by Duncan in 1841.

The species/subspecies names show a close relationship to A. sylla sylla, and a specimen type location in Maranhao, Brazil.

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