Dirphia fabiani
Updated as per Entomo-Satsphingia Jahrgang 4 Heft 5 29.12.2011; March 28, 2013

Dirphia fabiani
Brechlin & Meister, 2011

Dirphia fabiani male, (Peru lowlands) 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

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DISTRIBUTION:

Dirphia fabiani (wingspan: males: 64mm; females: 91mm // Mfwl: 32mm; Ffwl: 45mm) flies in
Peru: Junin: Shanki, near Satipo, at elevations of approximately 700m.

Based on Entomo-Satsphingia Jahrgang 4 Heft 5 29.12.2011, the Dirphia tarquinia Group consists of the following species:

centralis F. Johnson & Michener, 1948, Peru: Junin; Pasco
acidalia Hubner, 1819 Suriname, French Guiana, Peru (E), Bolivia (E), Brazil
docquinae Lemaire, 1993 French Guiana; Suriname
brevifurca Strand, 1911, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
crassifurca Lemaire, 1971, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela
horca Dognin, 1894 Ecuador, Peru
abhorca Lemaire, 1969, western Colombia, Ecuador
ludmillae Lemaire, 1974, Colombia
subhorca Dognin, 1901, Ecuador: Imbabura; Colombia, Costa Rica
horcana Schaus, 1911 Costa Rica
centralis F. Johnson & Michener, 1948, Peru
prosperina Lemaire, 1982, Ecuador
radiata Dognin, 1916 French Guiana, Guyana, Venezuela, Peru
irradians Lemaire, 1972 Venezuela
fernandezi Lemaire, 1972, Venezuela
winbrechlini Brechlin & Meister, 2011, Peru: Junin
amazhorca Brechlin & Meister, 2011, Peru: Amazonas
inexspectata Racheli and Racheli, 2005 Peru: Amazonas
riojhorca Brechlin & Meister, 2011, Peru: San Martin: Rioja
tolimafurca Brechlin & Meister, 2011, Colombia: Tolima
apeggyae Brechlin, Meister & Kaech, 2011, Ecuador: Pichincha

pastazana Brechlin, Meister & Kaech, 2011, Ecuador: Pastaza: Santa Clara
tarquinia (Cramer, 1775) Suriname, French Guiana, Guyana, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil
lichyi Lemaire, 1971 Venezuela
barinasensis Barinas Province, Venezuela
mielkeorum Naumann, Brosch, & Wenczel, 2005, Peru: Madre de Dios
carimaguensis Decaëns T, Bonilla D, Naumann S, 2005 Colombia: Meta: Carimagua
aculecuatoriana Brechlin, Meister & Kaech, 2011, Ecuador: Pastaza; Sucumbios; Napo; Orellana
aculea Vuillot, 1892 Brazil
fabiani Brechlin & Meister, 2011, Peru: Junin, near Satipo

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in December. There are probably additional flight months.

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

Dirphia fabiani female, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use highly developed antennae to locate females at night by tracking their airbourne pheromone plumes.

Dirphia fabiani larva on Quercus turneri X pseudoturneri,
courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel

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.

The species name is honourific for Fabian Brechlin, nephew of Ron Brechlin.

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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Dirphia fabiani male, 64mm, Junin, Peru,
on my home computer only.

Dirphia fabiani female, 91mm, Junin, Peru,
on my home computer only.