DISTRIBUTION:

Gamelioides elainae (forewing length: 28mm; females: 35-38mm) flies at high altitudes (3620m) in
eastern Ecuador: Imbabura, Sucumbios and Napo ??; and
possibly ?? in Colombia: Cundinamarca??

The male forewing is elongated and pointed. The postmedial line is dark, straight, preapical and divides a much darker submarginal area from a lighter median area.

Females have larger, fuller wings with a convex outer margin. Ground colour is brownish grey.

Gamelioides elainae?? pair, Cundinamarca, Colombia,
2700m, courtesy of Diego Bonilla, via Thibaud Decaens.

I am not certain of the identification of the moths on this page. They could be G. elainae, but they could also be some of the recently described species from Columbia. Without a specific location, and without the ability of seeing a series of confirmed ids, it is almost impossible to distinguish between the many look-a-like species. I think the female above may be Gamelioides pinzonica. That would be my first guess if they are from Boyaca.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing in April-May, June and November-December.

Larval hosts are unknown.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Gamelioides elainae female (possibly pinzonica),
courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Larvae are equipped with urticating spines and feed gregariously.

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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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", honour a contempory friend/collector/etc.

Gamelioides means Gamelia-like. In Greek mythology "Gamelia" is another name for Hera.

The species name "elainae" is honourific for a woman named Elaine or Elaina.

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