Dirphia muscosa
Updated as per Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002, March 2008
Updated as per personal communication with Carlos Mielke (Parana), April 2008
Updated as per personal communication with Luis Cesar Tejo (Misiones, Argentina); November 29, 2013
Updated as per ZOOLOGIA LEPIDÓPTEROS DE IMPORTÂNCIA MÉDICA OCORRENTES NO RIO GRANDE DO SUL. III. SATURNIIDAE – HEMILEUCINAE (flight months; foodplants; RGDS); Alexandre Specht; Elio Corseuil; Aline Carraro Formentini
Updated as per personal communication with Nigel Venters (Cordoba, Argentina, as per Adriana Inés Zapata); March 3, 2016
Updated as per personal communication with Bruno Moraes (Tapirai, Sao Paulo, Brazil, March 21, 2018); March 21, 2018
Updated as per personal communication with Joao Amarildo Ranguetti (Massaranduba, Sanata Catarina, Brazil, July 16, 23, 2017; August 25, 2017); March 30, 2018

Dirphia muscosa
Schaus, 1898

Dirphia muscosa male, Lodge Don Enrique, Misiones, Argentina,
courtesy of Luis Cesar Tejo

TAXONOMY:

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

DISTRIBUTION:

Dirphia muscosa (wingspan: males: 77-101mm; females: 97-124mm) flies in
southeastern Brazil: Rio de Janeiro; Sao Paulo: Tapirai (BM); Parana (CM); Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, and in
northeastern Argentina: Misiones (LCT) and Cordoba (NV).

The overall spotted appearance of the forewing distinguishes this species. The median area is quite variable in regard to its shape and size.

Dirphia muscosa courtesy of Bernard Wenczel.

Dirphia muscosa male, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
July 1968, courtesy Kelly Price.

Dirphia muscosa male, Rio Vermelho, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
July 1961, courtesy Kelly Price.

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: Misiones
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 muscosa male, Sao Bento do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
85mm, December 2013, courtesy of Philippe Brems

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing in March-April, June-July and August-October, suggessting at least three broods, annually. Larvae feed upon Juglans regia under natural conditions and have been reared on Quercus ilex and Quercus robur.

Dirphia muscosa male (verso), Lodge Don Enrique, Misiones, Argentina,
courtesy of Luis Cesar Tejo

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

Dirphia muscosa female, Sao Bento do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
105mm, December 2013, courtesy of Philippe Brems


Dirphia muscosa male, Alfredo Wagner, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
July 14, 2017, courtesy of Americo Chini.


Dirphia muscosa male, Tapirai, Sao Paulo, Brazil,
March 21, 2018, courtesy of Bruno Moraes.

Visit Dirphia muscosa additional images.

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.

Juglans regia.......
Quercus ilex
Quercus robur

English walnut
Holly oak
English oak

Return to Main Saturniidae Index

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