Dirphiopsis schreiteri
Updated as per Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002, February, 2008

Dirphiopsis schreiteri
DIRF-ee-op-sisMSCHREYE-ter-eye
Schaus, 1925

Dirphiopsis schreiteri male copyright Kirby Wolfe

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family Saturniidae Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Tribe: Hemileucini, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Genus: Dirphiopsis, Bouvier, 1928

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DISTRIBUTION:

Dirphiopsis schreiteri (wingspan: males: 57-67mm; females: 80mm) flies in
Argentina: Salta, Tucuman, and in
Bolivia: Chuquisaca; Santa Cruz; Cochabamba: Chapare; in medium elevation andean forests (400 - 1200 m).

Dirphiopsis schreiteri male, Chuquisaca (Bolivia) courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

The next two images (brecto and verso) of the same moth are tentatively identified by myself as Dirphiopsis schreiteri. Lemaire indicates this is the southernmost of the described Dirphiopsis so I am tentatively placing the images here. The wingspan is larger than that given by Lemaire.

Dirphiopsis schreiteri male, Tafe de Valle, Tucuman, Argentina,
74mm, 2000m, courtesy of Nigel Venters,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Dirphiopsis schreiteri male (verso), Tafe de Valle, Tucuman, Argentina,
74mm, 2000m, courtesy of Nigel Venters,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in February.

Larval hosts are unknown.

Dirphiopsis schreiteri Bolivia, courtesy of Leroy Simon

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

Dirphiopsis schreiteri female, Bolivia, courtesy of Leroy Simon

Dirphiopsis schreiteri female, Bolivia, courtesy of BOLD Systems.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

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

Dirphiopsis schreiteri larva copyright Kirby Wolfe

Dirphiopsis schreiteri fifth instar, Bolivia, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

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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