DISTRIBUTION:

Citheronia laocoon (wingspan: males: 65-87mm; females: 90-118mm // forewing length: males: 46.2mm; females: 56.5-56.7mm) flies in
Brazil: Para; Rio Grande do Norte; Paraiba; Pernambuco; Alagoas; Bahia; Distrito Federal; Goias; Minas Gerais: Itanhandu; Mato Grosso; Espirito Santo: Cariacica; Rio de Janeiro: Cachambi; Nova Iguacu; Sao Goncalo; Sao Paulo: Sorocaba; Parana: Curitiba; Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul;
French Guiana: Kourou;
Bolivia: Santa Cruz, La Paz and Beni, (Cochabamba: Arani Kelly Price);
Paraguay UD: Concepcion, San Pedro, Canindeyu, Cordillera, Caaguazu, Alto Parana, Guaira, Paraguari, and probably Caazapa, Misiones and Itapua (yes, PS); and
Argentina: Misiones and Entre Rios.

Visit Citheronia laocoon, Bolivia: Cochabamba: Arani, courtesy of Kelly Price.

The median area of the male forewing is almost entirely yellow. In the female, it is also yellow but narrower than in male due to dark scaling in the area of the cell.

Citheronia laocoon male, Paraguay, courtesy/copyright Ulf Drechsel.

Citheronia laocoon, Paraguay, courtesy/copyright Ulf Drechsel.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS: Specimens have been taken in February. Paul Smith sends a composite of a male taken in San Rafael, Itapua, Paraguay, November 14, 2007. Jason Weigner reports a January flight in Pailon, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, January 17, 2010, 250m. Larry Valentine reports a January 26, 2011, flight in Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil. In Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, specimens have been taken in January-February and October-November. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I have flight reports for May, June; there is probably also a second or even third flight in that Brazilian state. Mary Drummond sends the image to the right of a mating pair from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, taken June 13, 2011. The male is generally smaller than the female, but in this image we probably see a below average sized male, pairing with a larger than average female.

Visit Citheronia laocoon female and eggs, Pailon, 80km east of Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Dept., Bolivia, 250m, January 17, 2010.

Citheronia laocoon male, San Rafael, Itapua, Paraguay,
November 14, 2007, courtesy of Paul Smith.

Citheronia laocoon larvae feed on Psiidium species, Veronia species and several other plants. In captivity they will feed on sweetgum.

In Rio Grande do Sul they have been reported on "Anacardiaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Asteraceae, Caryocaraceae, Combretaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Cupressaceae, Ebenaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Myrtaceae, Rosaceae."

Citheronia laocoon female, Paraguay, courtesy of Kirby Wolfe.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Citheronia laocoon females extend a scent gland from the posterior tip of the abdomen after dark. The slightly smaller, more brigthly coloured males use their more highly developed antennae to locate the calling females. Males of this subfamily have antennae which are quadripectinate for the basal two-thirds of their length. Male antennae are visible in the Leroy Simon image to the right.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Eggs are large and yellow. Just before emergence, the tiny caterpillar becomes visible through the transparent eggshell.

Thoracic spines adorn the larvae throughout their lives. The spines are especially well-developed compared to body size in the early instars. Second instar larva to right courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Development is rapid as Citheronia species seem able to assimilate most of consumed foliage. I believe the image to the left is the penultimate instar, the one just before the final instar, which may be the fifth or sixth instar.

Larvae are extremely colourful and armed with "horns" not as pronounced as some other members of this genus. Pupation is underground in a small cell. Adult moths probably emerge 4-5 weeks after pupating.

Citheronia laocoon, fifth instar, green form courtesy of Scott Henninger.

Citheronia laocoon, fifth instar, dark form courtesy of Scott Henninger.

Visit Citheronia laocoon larvae, Misiones, Argentina, courtesy of Reinhard Foerster.

Visit Citheronia laocoon larva and ex-pupa female, wild male, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Visit Citheronia laocoon larva, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Visit Citheronia laocoon second or third instar larva, Sorocaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil, courtesy of Enio Branco.

Visit Citheronia laocoon female, eggs, and first instar larva, Cachambi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, courtesy of Elidiomar Ribeiro Da Silva.

Visit Citheronia laocoon final instar larva, Limeira, Sao Paulo, Brazil, April 12, 2016, courtesy of Edson Renel.

Visit multiple images of Citheronia laocoon fourth and fifth instars and adult moths, Brazil.

Visit male, female, eggs, all instars (with fifth instar variations) and pupae of Citheronia laocoon, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel, April 5, 2018.

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.

Acalypha Aleurites fordii Anacardium occidentale Caryocar brasiliensis Cupressus Diospyros kaki Gossypium herbaceum Ilex paraguaiensis Joannesia princeps Juglans nigra Liquidambar styraciflua Psidium albortum Psidium araca Psidium guajava Psidium incanescens Psidium mediterraneum Psidium petrosum Psidium pomiferum Rosa Schinus terebinthus Sebastania klotzschiana..... Terminalia catappa Veronia polyanthus Veronia tweedieana Zinnia elegans

Three-seeded Mercury China wood-oil tree Cashewnut/Maranon Caryocar brasiliensis Cypress Japanese persimmon Levant cotton Paraguay tea Joannesia princeps Black walnut Sweetgum Guava Guava Guava Guava Guava Guava Guava Rose Brazil peppertree Sebastiania klotzschiana Indian almond Ironweed Ironweed Common zinnia

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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 "Citheronia" is probably 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 "laocoon" is from Greek mythology. Laocoön is the Trojan priest who was strangled by sea snakes, sent by the gods who favored the Greeks, because Laocoön had tried to warn the Trojan citizens of the danger of bringing in the wooden horse.

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