DISTRIBUTION:

Eacles imperialis magnifica (wingspan: males: 120mm; females: 127mm // forewing length: males: 52.9-53.7mm; females: 57.8-62.4mm) flies in
southeastern Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Parana, Sao Paulo, southeastern Minas Gerais (LV and WW), Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul: Porto Alegre (MCD);
Argentina: Buenos Aires (EB/CM); and
northeastern Uruguay: northeast of Melo (CP); Pueblo Garzon, Rocha.

Ulf Drechsel confirms this subspecies in eastern Paraguay departments. Ulf reports subspecies tucumana flies in the western departments.

With all dure respect, think the specimens from Bueonos Aires, Argentina are probably subspecies opaca. Bill Oehlke

I have recently received images from Extremoz, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, and from Una, Bahia, Brazil, that could be either Eacles imperialis magnifica, Eacles imperialis cacicus or an undescribed Eacles imperialis subspecies. The literature, as of 2019, does not discuss where the ranges of the two subspecies end. In Brazil, magnifica seems to be more of a southeastern subspecies, while cacicus seems to be more of a Guiano-Amazonian subspecies. Because of the different biomes in northeastern Brazil, DNA barcoding will probably be necessary to determine id at subspecies level.

Eacles imperialis magnifica?? female, Una, Bahia, Brazil,
April 21, 2019, courtesy of Vini Beraldo, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Visit Eacles imperialis magnifica male, all instars and pupa, from eastern Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Males have forewings that are less falcate than those of E. i. cacicus. The female tends to be paler and more densely sprinkled with dark scales.

Eacles imperialis magnifica female, Martinez, Buenos Aires, Argentina,
October 2007, courtesy/copyright Ezequiel Bustos, id by Carlos Mielke.

Eacles imperialis magnifica female, Buenos Aires, Argentina, courtesy of Lorena Portillo.

Eacles imperialis magnifica female, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
February 2009, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

It is possible the female from Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil, is subspecies Eacles imperialis cacicus, but I have gone with E. i. magnifica based on geography.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There may be more than one flight. Ezequiel Bustos reports a specimen taken in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October 2007. The female specimen from Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil, emerged in February. Larry Valentine has sent an image of a male taken at lights in January and has also sent images of males which emerged in October so it appears there are at least two broods annually. Wolfgang Walz has posted an image of a female in Leopoldo, Minas Gerais, Brazil, February 15, 2013. They have been reported on the wing in Rio Grande do Sul in all months except June and July. Joao Mamberti reports a March 17, 2018 flight in Osasco, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Eacles imperialis magnifica female. Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil,
February 19, 2018, courtesy of Maria Conceicao Dewes.

Larval host families: "Anacardiaceae, Betulaceae, Burseraceae, Caprifoliaceae, Cochlospermaceae, Combretaceae, Cupressaceae, Ebenaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae, Fabaceae: Faboideae, Fagaceae, Hamamelidaceae, Juglandaceae, Lauraceae, Malvaceae, Moraceae, Myricaceae, Myrtaceae, Oleaceae, Pinaceae, Platanaceae, Rosaceae, Rubiaceae, Salicaceae, Sapindaceae, Ulmaceae."

Females are not as ornately decorted as the males of this species.

Eacles imperialis magnifica male, Uruguay,
December 1, 2010, courtesy of Pablo de Carmello Rou.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females mate around 10:00 P.M., and the pair remains coupled until the following evening. Upon separation, the females begin their ovipositing flights.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Green, translucent eggs are deposited singly or in small clusters of up to six. The larvae become visible through the egg shells a day or so before emerging.

Under natural conditions, larvae are solitary in their feeding habits.

Females are sometimes so loaded with eggs that they will dump or unload some of them before flying. Lorena Portillo found a pair of Eacles imperialis in copula. When they separated, the female began dumping eggs before she flew away.

I am pretty sure this is subspecies magnifica, as females of subspecies opaca tends to have more of an orangey-brown ground colour, and a wider and more concave forewing pm line. I, Bill Oehlke, now think this is more likely subspecies opaca, as would be all species on this page from Buenos Aires.

Eacles imperialis opaca female, dumping eggs,
Buenos Aires, Argentina, courtesy of Lorena Portillo.

Eacles imperialis opaca female, depositing eggs,
Buenos Aires, Argentina, courtesy of Lorena Portillo.

Eacles imperialis magnifica courtesy/copyright of Uwe Kauz.

Eacles imperialis magnifica courtesy/copyright of Uwe Kauz.

Eacles imperialis magnifica courtesy of Manel Moreno.

Eacles imperialis magnifica/cacicus ??, Itanhandu, southeastern Minas Gerais, Brazil,
green form, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

The larva from southeastern Minas Gerais is a subspecies of E. imperialis. It could be E. i. cacicus, but I have gone with E. i. magnifica based on geography. The thoracic and anal scoli also seem more appropriate (length) for magnifica. Subsequent arrival of images of males (visit link below) from Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil, seem to confirm the subspecies from that locale as E.i. magnifica.

Eacles imperialis magnifica male, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
October 16, 2008, courtesy of Larry Valentine,
id and digital repair (wingtips) by Bill Oehlke.

Visit additional Eacles imperialis magnifica larvae and adult images, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Larvae descend trees to pupate in underground chambers. Pupae should be stored under cool , but above freezing temperatures, and sprinkling with water a few times a week in June encourages July eclosions. The wild larvae that Larry Valentine has found in Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil, have been feedingon avacado and guava.

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.

Avacado (LV) Guava (LV) Quercus ...... Terminalia catappa .......

Avacado Guava Oak tropical almond or Indian almond

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The pronunciation of scientific names is troublesome for many. The "suggestion" at the top of the page is merely a suggestion. It is based on commonly accepted English pronunciation of Greek names and/or some fairly well accepted "rules" for latinized scientific names.

The suggested pronunciations, on this page and on other pages, are primarily put forward to assist those who hear with internal ears as they read.

There are many collectors from different countries whose intonations and accents would be different.

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", honoura contempory friend/collector/etc.

I do not know the source of the genus name "Eacles", but it may be a combination of "Ea", the Greek word for gods and goddesses and the Greek suffix "cles", meaning 'glory of'.

The species name "imperialis" is probably for the majestic appearance and colouration of this moth.

The subspecies name "magnifica" means magnificent or honoured. There seems to be a trend to have named E. imperialis subspecies after politial or military rankings/stature: cacicus (local leader/boss), decoris (decorated), magnifica (powerful, magnificent), nobilis (noble).