DISTRIBUTION:

Eubergia altoparanensis (wingspan: males: 46mm; females: 55mm // forewing length: males: 20-22m; females: 25-28mm) flies in
Paraguay: Alto Parana: Estancia Dimas, -35.5356, -55.2178, collected by U. Drechsel, 2005-01-08.

The hindwing basal-median area is almost pure white in E. altoparanensis. I think the following two images are most likely Eubergia altoparanensis.

Eubergia caisa (more likely E. altoparanensis) Paraguay, courtesy/copyright Ulf Drechsel.

Eubergia caisa (more likely E. altoparanensis) Paraguay, courtesy/copyright Ulf Drechsel.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in January in Paraguay (Mirror).

Eubergia altoparanensis HT male, 46mm, Alto Parana, Paraguay,
on my home computer only.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use their more highly developed antennae to seek out females who release an airbourne pheromone into the night sky.

Eubergia altoparanensis ??, female, Paraguay, courtesy of pybio.

Eubergia altoparanensis ??, female, Paraguay,
55mm courtesy of Stefan Naumann.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are probably deposited in large clusters and larvae are probably highly gregarious. Based on images provided by Ulf Drechsel of either E. paraguari or E. altoparanensis eggs, it appears that the females lay their eggs enmasse and cover the sticky eggs with abdominal hairs which are probably urticating or can cause some sort of unpleasant allergenic reaction with anyone/anything that contacts them.

By coincidence, I came across some images of similar egg masses for some of the Hylesia species from Brazil. Research showed the eggs had an incubation period of over fifty days. I would not be surprised to learn that Eubergia eggs also have a very long incubation period. The image below shows a hair-covered mass of eggs which was probably removed from its mooring. I suspect the 'nest' in its recto position, probably looks like a ple of hay.

Urticating spines would offer the Eubergia paraguari larvae much protection.

Eubergia altoparanensis/paraguari eggs, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Eubergia altoparanensis/paraguari eggs, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Larval Food Plants

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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Return to Eubergia Genus

Some of the early describers/namers chose genus and species names indicating some character of the insect, but more often, they simply chose names from Greek or Roman mythology or history.

Those species names which end in "ensis" indicate a specimen locale, and those which end in "i", pronounced "eye", honour a contempory friend/collector/etc.

I do not know the source of the genus name "Eubergia" chosen by Bouvier in 1929.

The species name altoparanensis is indicative of a specimen type locale in Alto Parana, Paraguay.