DISTRIBUTION:

Copiopteryx virgo (forewing wingspan: males: 77-80mm; females: 89-100mm) flies in
Argentina: Jujuy, Salta, Santa Fe, and probably Tucuman and Santiago del Estero, in
northern Paraguay: Guaira, San Pedro, President Hayes UD, Concepcion UD; in
Brazil: Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul: Salobra (Miranda), and in
Bolivia: Santa Cruz Department: San Jose de Chiqitos; Taipiplaya, Yungas, La Paz.

Ulf Drechsel reports them in central and western Paraguay (distribution in drier forests, Cerrado and Chaco).

Copiopteryx virgo, Paraguay, courtesy/copyright Ulf Drechsel.

The small size, relatively broad short tails and B-shaped forewing discal spot distinguish this species.

Copiopteryx virgo male, San Jose de Chiquitos, Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia,
900m, courtesy of John Kamps.

Copiopteryx virgo male, San Jose de Chiquitos, Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia,
900m, courtesy of Jason Weigner.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Copiopteryx virgo flies late at night in February, March, April and October-November and possibly in other months.

Copiopteryx virgo female, Salobra (Miranda) Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil,
October 18-29, 1938, courtesy of Carlos Mielke.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females have much shorter hind wing tails than males do, and emit a pheromone at night to "call" in the males.

Copiopteryx virgo , courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Early instar larvae are spiny and hatch from eggs after approximately fourteen days of development.

Tiny larvae feed on leaf tips from underside veins.

Pupation is in early (pre-dawn) morning in subterranean chambers.

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.

Manilkara chicle .......

Chico Sapote

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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.

Some of the early describers/namers chose genus and species names indicating some character of the insect, but more often, they simply chose names from Greek or Roman mythology or history.

Those species names which end in "ensis" indicate a specimen locale, and those which end in "i", pronounced "eye", honour a contempory friend/collector/etc.

The genus name "Copiopteryx" comes from the Greek word "pterygion" for wing.

The species name "virgo" is for the Greek goddess Virgo, also known as Astraea. She is the daughter of Jupiter and Themses and is considered the Goddess of Justice. When she could find no peace on earth, she went to live in the heavens and made the stars.

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