Dirphia demarmelsi

Dirphia demarmelsi

Updated as per personal communication with Bernhard Wenczel, September, 2006

Dirphia demarmelsi
DIRF-ee-uhMday-MAR-mels-eye
Naumann, Brosch, Wenczel, & Clavijo, 2005

Dirphia demarmelsi male, Venezuela, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family Saturniidae Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Tribe: Hemileucini, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Genus: Dirphia, Hubner, 1819

MIDI MUSIC

"What.A.Wonderful.World"
copyright C. Odenkirk
MIDI CITY
ON.OFF

DISTRIBUTION:

Dirphia demarmelsi (forewing length: males: 43-52mm; females: 84-89mm) flies in southern Venezuela: Guaiquinima in the "Gran Sabana" National Park, Bolivar.
This species is probably very closely related to D. avrilae, but avrilae is darker with some other subtle differences, including absence of discal markings.
The thorax of demarmelsi is purplish-brown and the dorsal surface of the abdomen is black, ringed with red-orange, while the vental surface is purplish-orange.
The forewings are a uniform grey-brown with darker brown in the median area, outlined with undulating grey scaled lines. There is a small discal spot outlined in grey.
The hindwings are an orangey-brown with slightly darker median and subterminal bands, becoming more grey near the outer margin. There is a 5mm long dark brown, lent-like, vertical mark in the cell area.
The ventral surface is uniform purplish-orange with a 2mm long, grey discal mark on the hindwings.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing in February. Larval hosts are unknown.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use highly developed antennae to locate females at night by tracking her airbourne pheromone plume.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are probably laid in large clusters and larvae probably feed gregariously. Typical of the Subfamily Hemileucinae, Dirphia species all have urticating spines.

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

Rhus .......

Sumac

Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page.
Return to Dirphia Genus
Goto South American Saturniidae Directory
Goto Main Saturniidae Index

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.
I do not know the source of the genus name "Dirphia" chosen by Hubner in 1819.
The species name "demarmelsi", is honourific for one of its collectors, Prof. Dr. Jurg de Marmels.