DISTRIBUTION:

Cerodirphia cutteri (wingspan: males: 58-75mm; females: 65-78mm) flies at high altitude (2700-3250m) in Ecuador: Cotopaxi: Salcedo (HK); Tungurahua; Azuay: Jima (HK); Loja; Morona-Santiago.

Cerodirphia cutteri male copyright Kirby Wolfe

"Labial palpi: pink; frons: dark brown; prothorax: dorsally black; mesothorax: light to dark brown; metathorax: pink. The black abdomen is without rings on the dorsal surface, although spread specimens with extended abdomens may give the appearance of same. The ground colour of the rounded forewings ranges from yellowish brown to dark brown, with or without a suffusion of pink. The pm line is dark brown to black, broad and diffuse, sometimes indistinct. The Y-shaped cell marking is yellow with a very short (usually) lower extension. The short black streak in the wider upper fork may or may not be present. There is usually a stronger suffusion of pink on the hind wings where the cell marking is black. Note pinkish forewing and hindwing fringes. Veins are in strong contrast to rest of wings on both dorsal and browner ventral wing surfaces.

Cerodirphia cutteri courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

* The male from Jima, Azuay, at the top of this page, courtesy of Horst Kach shows an unusually long extension of the lower branch of the forewing Y-shaped cell marking. Lemaire describes this feature as "lower branch lacking or very short". Horst sent a verso image of the same moth, immediately below. Lemaire does not comment on any white markings on the ventral surface of the abdomen. Other features of the moth are consistent with Lemaire's description of P. cutteri, but the white markings on the ventral surface of the thorax indicate an undescribed species or a feature not noted by Lemaire???

Cerodirphia cutteri male (verso), Jima, Azuay, Ecuador,
March 8, 2008, 2900m, courtesy of Horst Kach.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in January, February (HK: Cotopaxi: Salcedo) and March (HK: Azuay: Jima). Horst Kach also reports a December 29, 1996, flight in Uritusimca, Ecuador, at 2900m, as well as a May 28, 1991, flight in Ambato, Tungurahua, Ecuador.

Cerodirphia cutteri female copyright Kirby Wolfe

Cerodirphia cutteri female, Uritusimca, Ecuador,
December 29, 1996, 2900m, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Cerodirphia cutteri female (verso), Uritusimca, Ecuador,
December 29, 1996, 2900m, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Cerodirphia cutteri female (verso), Ambato, Tungurahua, Ecuador,
May 28, 1991, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Cerodirphia cutteri female, Ambato, Tungurahua, Ecuador,
May 28, 1991, courtesy of Horst Kach.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use highly developed antennae to locate females at night by tracking their airbourne pheromone plumes.

Cerodirphia cutteri male, Salcedo, Cotopaxi, Ecuador,
2800m, February 2008, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Cerodirphia cutteri male (verso), Salcedo, Cotopaxi, Ecuador,
2800m, February 2008, courtesy of Horst Kach.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Larve feed gregariously and have urticating spines.

Cerodirphia cutteri larva copyright Kirby Wolfe

Listed below are the primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae. 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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