DISTRIBUTION:

Automerina vala (forewing length: males: 26mm; females; probably larger) flies in
southeastern Peru: Puno; and possibly
Suriname and possibly everywhere in between those two countries:
western Brazil.

True vala may be a Guayana-Amazonian species, being replaced by low east Andean species A. tatianae in Ecuador and A. valoides in Peru?? Bill Oehlke

Luigi Racheli sends a digital image from Ecuador: Napo: Rio Arajuno. I am pretty sure the image for Luigi is A. tatianae, which was undescribed at the time Luigi made his determination.

This species seems to be very rare and is distinguished from cypria by forewing dorsal colouration: sharp contrast between dark basal half and very light, greyish-white outer half in vala which also has brighter hindwing colouration.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing in May-June. Horst Kach reports a March 31, 1997, flight in Yasuni, Orellana, Ecuador.

Larval hosts are unknown, but Theobroma cacao might work.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females call in the night-flying males via an airbourne pheromone released from a gland at the tip of the abdomen.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Larvae have urticating spines and are gregarious in their habits.

Scoli are probably arranged as short, dense rosettes.

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.

Theobroma cacao.......

Cocao

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