Eubergia radians
Updated as per Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002, October 3, 2006
Updated as per personal communication with Nigel Venters (male, 45mm; Calilegua, Jujuy, Argentina; November 16, 2009; 750m)

Eubergia radians
(Dognin, 1911) Ormiscodes radians

The specimen image to the right was originally sent to me as Eubergia caisa.

I have purchased Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002 from Erich Bauer and see that the moths are actually Eubergia radians, based on black-edged, thin, yellow ring around forewing black cell spot and the generally darker colour of the hindwings.

Lemaire also mentions the slightly concave postmedial line (very evident in the top male) and the swollen white lines (strigae) near the outer margin.

Eubergia radians males, Chuquisaca (Bolivia), G. Lecourt.

The lower specimen has the circled cell spot of radians but the straight pm line of caisa. Lemaire remarks the genitalia are the same for both species, and I (William Oehlke) thought they might be the same species. Note slightly concave postmedial line of E. caisa at top of E. caisa page, which might be some other species.

Upon further review (2015) and new descriptions put forward, I think these moths are either radians or the more recently described E. sinjaevorum, described from Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Sometimes the manner in which the wings are spread can influnece the appearance of the lay of the pm line, and that character also seems to be somewhat variable. E. caisa is without the yellow 'ring' in the forewing cell, while both radians and sinjaevorum have that feature.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Tribe: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Genus: Eubergia, Bouvier, 1929

DISTRIBUTION:

Eubergia radians (wingspan: males: 38-43-45mm (NV); females: 48mm) flies in
northcentral Argentina: Tucuman, Jujuy, Santiago del Estero, and probably also in Salta Province and in
Bolivia: Chuquisaca (and probably Tarija (WO?)) at moderate elevations on the eastern slopes of the Andes.

Digital alteration of right side copied to left, by Bill Oehlke

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Larval hosts are unknown. Moths have been taken in November and January at moderate elevation (750-2200 m) on the eastern slopes of the Andes.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen. Males use highly developed antennae to track the airbourne pheromone to locate the females.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are probably deposited in large clusters and larvae are probably highly gregarious.

Urticating spines would offer the Eubergia radians larvae much protection.

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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