Cerapoda tibialis, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel and PYBIO

Ceropoda tibialis male, on my home computer only.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke.
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Ceratocampinae, Harris, 1841 Genus: Ceropoda, Michener, 1949 Species: tibialis, W. Rothschild, 1907

DISTRIBUTION:

Ceropoda tibialis (wingspan: males: 41mm; females: 52mm) flies in damp equatorial woods in equatorial South America:
Brazil: Mato Grosso;
and Paraguay: Alto Paraguay; to possibly ?? Peru (doubtful) at elevations between 200-1200 meters above sea level.

FLIGHT TIMES:

There are possibly two broods annually with Ceropoda tibialis moths on the wing in February and again in October.

Ulf Drechsel and PYBIO provide images of the following two specimens which are also quite difference from anything else on the Cicia pamela page.

Cicia pamala (should be Cerapoda tibialis), Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel and PYBIO

Cicia pamala (should be Cerapoda tibialis), Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel and PYBIO

Ryan St Laurent has just (February 7, 2019) corrected the Paraguayan specimens above as Cerapoda tibilis.

ECLOSION:

Typical of the Ceratocampinae, adult Ceropoda tibialis moths emerge from underground pupae.

SCENTING AND MATING

The slightly larger female begins "calling" after 10:00 pm. Smaller males fly into the wind to pick up the scent and track the stationary female.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE

Under natural conditions larvae would leave the food plant at pupation time and burrow underground to pupate.

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.

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