Dirphia fornax
Updated as per Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002, March 2008
Updated as per personal communication with Carlos Mielke (Parana), April 2008

Dirphia fornax
Druce, 1903

Dirphia fornax male, Corupa, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
February, 19657, courtesy Kelly Price.

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 fornax (wingspan: males: 92-112mm; females: 115mm) flies in
southeastern Brazil: Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Parana (CM), Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing in January, March and October, suggesting three broods annually. Larval hosts are unknown.

Dirphia fornax female, Sao Bento, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
January, 1967, courtesy Kelly Price.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

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

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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