DISTRIBUTION:

Catacantha siriae (wingspan: males: 45mm; females: mm // Mfwl: 24-27mm; Ffwl: ) flies in Peru: Cusco: San Pedro; Junin: Satipo: Calabaza; Pasco: Santa Rosa; Pasco: Oxapampa; and
Bolivia: Cochabamba.

In 2010, Brechlin, Meister & van Schayck described six new species in the Catacantha genus. In 2012, Brechlin & Meister described an additional new Catacantha species, but placed in synonomy four of the "new species" described only two years earlier.

As of 2012, Catacantha evitae, Catacantha sofiae, Catacantha juliae are all designated as subjective junior synonyms of Catacantha siriae.

Visit Catachantha Genus Comparison Plate

Catacantha siriae male, 45mm, San Pedro, Cuzco, Peru,
May 22, 2012, 1370m, courtesy of Jim Vargo,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

For the following image, Bernhard Wenczel writes, "Studying your site I stopped on the Catacantha section. Your guess that Eric's specimen you show as C. stramentalis could be C. siriae is correct. We were together travelling in Oxapampa, when he caught this male - along with more specimens of which Brechlin & Meister took their material to describe C. siriae eventually. We also caught a female that produced some eggs. Not many but I managed to rear them on Phyllostachis aurea. They pupate within the debris below the foodplant. Unfortunately they dried up and never emerged. Maybe I kept them too warm. Their biotope is between 2000 and 3000 meters where large bamboo fields dominate the landscape between the mountain forests. It's always quite cool and foggy - if it doesn't rain…

Catacantha stramentalis reddish male (possibly siriae, confirmed by B Wenczel), Peru,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

"At this same spot we found also Automeris suteri, Automeris peggyae, Pseudautomeris boettgeri or Molippa luzalessarum.

"Find attached the few pictures I possess of C. siriae."

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in April-may and October. There may also be flights in other months. Bernhard Wenczel has reared them on Bamboo species.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use their more highly developed antennae to seek out females who release an airbourne pheromone into the night sky.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters of 6-40+ on hostplant twigs. Larvae have urticating spines and are gregarious, especially in the early instars.

Bernhard Wenczel has reared this species on Bamboo.

Catacantha siriae mature larva, Oxapampa, Pasco, Peru,
courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel and Victor Suter

Catacantha siriae mature larva, Oxapampa, Pasco, Peru,
courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel and Victor Suter

The species name, siriae, is honourific for Siri Van Schayck, daughter of Eric Van Schayck.

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.

Phyllostachis aurea (BW) .......

Fish pole Bamboo, Golden Bamboo

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