DISTRIBUTION:

Citheronioides collaris (wingspan: males: 86-100-108mm (RL); females: 98-149mm) flies in
western Ecuador: Pichincha, Canar and Imbabura: Cotacachi (AK), and probably Carchi, Cotopaxi, Los Rios and Bolivar;
Mexico: Veracruz and Chiapas;
Belize: Toledo;
Guatemala: ;
Nicaragua: Jinotega, Matagalpa, Zelaya, Rio San Juan;
Costa Rica: Heredia, Alajuela, Cartago (CL), Guanacaste, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose (IB);
Panama: Chiriqui and Bocas del Toro; and
Colombia: Valle; Choco; Cundinamarca (RTN) and probably in
El Salvador: ;
and Honduras: Atlantida and Olancho (RL) and probably Yoro (WO?); from sea level to 1420m.

Citheronioides collaris male, 2006, Los Bancos (Pichincha), Ecuador,
courtesy of Horst Kach.

Citheronioides collaris male, April 2, 2004, Los Bancos (Pichincha), Ecuador,
courtesy of Horst Kach.

Citheronioides collaris male verso, April 2, 2004, Los Bancos (Pichincha), Ecuador,
courtesy of Horst Kach.

Visit additional Citheronioides collaris images courtesy of Hubert Mayer.

Visit Citheronioides collaris male and larva, Santa Rosa, Puriscal, San Jose, Costa Rica, courtesy of Kirby Wolfe.

Visit Citheronioides collaris male (spread specimen), December 17, 2010, Cundinamarca, Colombia, courtesy of Rodrigo Torres Nunez.

Citheronioides collaris male, Cotacachi, Imbabura, Ecuador,
January 31, 2013, courtesy of Andreas Kay.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Citheronioides collaris larvae feed on Miconia affinis and Hampea appendiculata. Horst Kach has reared them on oak, and he also reports success on Liquidambar and Prunus domestica. Alan Marson also reports success with Liquidambar.

Moths are on the wing in all months except October and November. Robert Lehman confirms them on the wing in April and June in Honduras. Rodrigo Torres Nunez reports a December 17, 2010, flight in Cundinamarca, Colombia.

Citheronioides collaris female, April 15, 2004, Pichincha, Ecuador, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Citheronioides collaris female, verso, April 15, 2004, Pichincha, Ecuador, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Citheronioides collaris female, 1165m, Tapanti, Cartago, Costa Rica,
wingspan: approximately 125mm, courtesy of Kelly Price.

Visit Citheronioides collaris males, Honduras, courtesy of Robert Lehman.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING

The slightly smaller, more brigthly coloured collaris males use their more highly developed antennae to locate calling females at night.

Males of this subfamily have antennae which are quadripectinate for the basal two-thirds of their length.

Citheronioides collaris courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Eggs are relatively large and a translucent yellow. Incubation takes seven to nine days and larval development can be seen through the egg shell.

Citheronioides collaris larvae are extremely colourful and armed with "horns" nearly as menacing as those found on Citheronia regalis

Pupation is underground in an excavated cell.

Citheronioides collaris third instar, Ecuador, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Visit Citheronioides collaris larvae, eggs, first, second and third instars, Tatala, Los Bancos, Pichincha, Ecuador, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Visit Citheronioides collaris larvae, developed eggs, third, fourth and fifth instars, male and female Los Bancos Pachijal, Pichincha, Ecuador, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Visit beautiful series of images of Citheronioides collaris all instars, reared on Liquidambar, Ecuador, courtesy of Alan Marson.

Citheronioides collaris larva courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Citheronioides collaris freshmolt into fifth instar,
Ecuador, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Leroy writes, "Above is an unusual image of Citheronioides collaris immediately after molting to 5th instar. Very soon all the bright areas except for the green patches will turn dark brown. Stock from Ecuador feeding on Brazilian Pepper Tree."

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.

Hampea appendiculata Liquidambar Miconia affinis Prunus domestica Quercus Schinus terebinthifolius ....... (LS)

Burio Raton Sweetgum Ceniza Plum Oak Brazilian Pepper Tree

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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.

The source of the genus name Citheronioides is the likeness of members of this genus to the genus Citheronia. "Citheronia" is probably derived from Mount Citheron (Greek mythology), an untamed wilderness, exempt from the laws of civilization. The goddesses go naked there and are free from any of the pressures of society.

The species name "collaris" is probably for one or both of the golden collars between the head and thorax and/or between the thorax and abdomen.