Dirphia radiata
Updated as per Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002, February 2008
Updated as per French Guiana Systematique, February 2008
Updated as per personal communication with Horst Kach (Yasuni, Orellana, Ecuador, September 20, 1996); February 21, 2011

Dirphia radiata
Dognin, 1916

Dirphia radiata 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

DISTRIBUTION:

Dirphia radiata (wingspan: males: 63-76mm; females: 98-116mm) flies in
French Guiana: Cayenne, Cacao, Kourou, Tonate, Regina, Coralie, Saint-Jean-du-Maroni;
Guyana: Mazaruni-Potaro;
Venezuela: Bolivar;
Ecuador: Orellana: Yasuni, and Napo; Peru: Loreto; and
probably in Suriname.

Dirphia radiata male, Yasuni, Orellana, Ecuador,
September 20, 1996, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Dirphia radiata male (verso), Yasuni, Orellana, Ecuador,
September 20, 1996, courtesy of Horst Kach.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing in February-March, May-June-July, December-January, suggesting at least three broods annually. Horst Kach reports a September 20, 1996, flight in Yasuni, Ecuador.

Larval hosts are unknown.

Dirphia radiata female, January 15, 1992, Piste Matiti, French Guiana,
wingspan 116mm, image courtesy of Robert Levesque, via Antoine Guyonnet.

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.

Dirphia radiata 5l, Kaw, French Guiana,
on my home computer only, Claude Lemaire.

Foodplants

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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The following image(s) may or may not appear on your monitor, depending upon whether or not I get permission from respective photographers/owners to display them. I do have permission for my own private use.

Dirphia radiata male, Cacao/Regina, French Guiana,
February 2002, collection of J.P.Passelecq, photo copyright Rene Lahousse,
French Guiana Systematique.

Dirphia radiata female, Coralie, French Guiana,
July 30, 2003, collection of J.P.Passelecq, photo copyright Rene Lahousse,
French Guiana Systematique.

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