DISTRIBUTION:

Dirphia avinapoana (wingspan: males: mm; females: mm) flies in
Ecuador: Napo; Zamora-Chinchipe; and
Peru: Amazonas (LTR); San Martin.

Dirphia avinapoana male, Napo Province, Ecuador, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Based on Entomo-Satsphingia Jahrgang 4 Heft 5 29.12.2011, the Dirphia avia Group (darker median sub-triangular shape, running from costa toward inner margin without striga) consists of the following species:

allae Brechlin & Meister 2011, Peru: Ayacucho; Apurimac; Cusco; Puno; Madre de Dios; Ucayali; Junin; Pasco;
avia French Guiana; Venezuela; probably Guyana and Suriname; most of Central America
avibarinasensis Brechlin & Meister 2011, Venezuela: Barinas
avichoco Brechlin & Meister 2011, Colombia: Choco
aviluisiana Brechlin & Meister 2011, Colombia: Antioquia; Cundinamarca?;
aviurica Brechlin & Meister 2011, Peru: Piura; Tumbes
avinapoana Brechlin, Meister & Kaech 2011, Ecuador: Napo; Zamora Chinchipe; Peru: Amazonas; San Martin
aviboliviana Brechlin & Meister 2011, Bolivia: La Paz; Chuquisaca; Beni; Tarija; Santa Cruz; Cochabamba;
avialtoparanensis Brechlin & Meister 2011, Paraguay: Alto Parana; Paraguari
cadioui Lemaire, 1980, Argentina; Bolivia
curitiba Draudt, 1930 Brazil
dentimaculata Schaus, 1921 Brazil; possibly Paraguay
muscosa Schaus, 1898 southeastern Brazil; northeastern Argentina
Ormiscodes hortensia Schaus, 1913, Brazil, is same as muscosa
f. sinuosa Bouvier, 1929, Brazil, is same as muscosa
f. colorata Bouvier, 1930, Brazil, is same as muscosa
nora (Druce, 1897) Panama: Chiriqui
triangulum Walker, 1855 southeastern Brazil: Santa Catarina; Rio de Janeiro; probably Sao Paulo; Minas Gerais; Parana.

Dirphia avinapoana male, Peru,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Although the label on the specimen above seems to indicate "Pasco" which would be south of the ESs stated range for D. napoana, the moth is almost a perfect match for the ESs image of D. avinapoana. Bill Oehlke

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are seen throughout the entire year so the species probably broods continuously as conditions permit.

Larvae feed upon West Indian Locust (Hymenaea courbaril) and West Indian Cedar (Cedrela odorata).

Dirphia avinapoana female, Napo Province, Ecuador, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Dirphia avinapoana female, Napo Province, Ecuador, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use highly developed antennae to locate females at night by tracking their airbourne pheromone plumes. In the image to the right, female curls her abdomen to deposit eggs. Image courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Dirphia avinapoana sixth instar, Napo Province, Ecuador, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

White eggs with a black micropyle are laid in large clusters and larvae feed gregariously.

Typical of the Subfamily Hemileucinae, Dirphia species all have urticating spines.

Dirphia avinapoana from Ecuador courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Dirphia avia/avinapoana?? final instar, one hour south of Iquitos, Loreto, Peru,
December 7, 2010, courtesy of Sarah M., via Daniel Marlos.

Sarah writes, December 21, 2010, "Unfortunately this fellow was not on a plant or really anywhere near one. He was headed up the wall of the lodge where we were staying, I assume to start spinning as he was quite fat.

"I can give a very exacting location, however. We were on Km 52.5 of the Iquitos-Nauta road, about a hour's drive southeast of Iquitos, Peru.

"I took the photo two weeks ago today. The colors are pretty accurate in the photo; he was a bubblegum pink and about 5 inches long."

Although I (Bill Oehlke) am not certain the larva from Peru is Dirphia avia/avinapoana, Lemaire indicates the larvae often become purplish prior to spinning. The dark markings on the dorsum are a good match for those of avia/avinapoana, and the large size (probably an exaggeration at five inches) and commonality of this species strongly suggest avia/avinapoana. A recording in Loreto, Peru, is new, but not unexpected.

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the anticipated foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Cedrela odorata Crataegus oxyacantha...... Fagus sylvatica Hymenaea courbaril Malus Prunus Quercus ilex Salix

West Indian Cedar English hawthorn European Beech West Indian Locust Apple Cherry/Plum Holly/Holm oak Willow

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