Cerodirphia mota mota
Updated from Polillas Saturnidas de Colombia, 1997, Angela R. Amarillo-S., January 2007
Updated as per personal communication with Peter Hoell, May 2008
Updated as per personal communication with Horst Kach (Los Laureles, Carchi, Ecuador, october 25, 2997, 2800m); February 20, 2011

Cerodirphia mota mota
Druce, 1909

Cerodirphia mota mota male, Valle de Cauca, Colombia, nr Cali,
2100m, courtesy/copyright Peter Hoell.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Rob., 1866
Tribe: Hemileucini, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Genus: Cerodirphia, Blanchard, 1952

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DISTRIBUTION:

Cerodirphia mota mota (wingspan: males: 64-81; females: 80-90mm) flies in
Colombia: Valle del Cauca; and
Ecuador: Carchi: Los Laureles (HK) and Pichincha.

It seems more common in Colombia and is taken at elevations between 1930 and 2800m.

Ground colour is a rosy pink, often with yellow tints. The diffuse pm line is pale red. Veins are yellow and fringes are white. The hindwing has yellowish scaling in basal area.

Thick black line inside white Y may or may not have a thin white striga.

Cerodirphia mota mota male, Los Laureles, Carchi, Ecuador,
October 25, 1997, 2800m, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Cerodirphia mota mota male (verso), Los Laureles, Carchi, Ecuador,
October 25, 1997, 2800m, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Cerodirphia roseissima (white veins suggest a mota subspecies), Ecuador, courtesy of Victor Sinyaev.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This moth probably broods continuously: January-February, April-June, October-November. Horst Kach reports an October 25, 1997, flight in Los Laureles, Carchi, Ecuador.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Larve feed gregariously and have urticating spines.

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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