DISTRIBUTION:

Hylesia discifex (wingspan: males: 45-47mm; females: 61mm) flies in
Brazil: Goais and Rio Grande do Sul;
Peru: Loreto; and in
Bolivia: Santa Cruz; at elevations of around 400m.

In the male, the thorax is brown and the abdomen is orange with some blackish hairs anteriorly. The forewing is slightly elongated with a rounded apex and convex outer margin. Ground colour is dull brown. The dull white am line is almost straight and distant from the body while the brown pm line is convex, bringing them close together along the inner margin. The basal area is darker than the median area. The discal spot is brown and is rounded.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in May, July and October. Larval hosts are unknown.

This species probably broods continuously on a three month cycle.

Hylesia discifex female, Santa Cruz, Bolivia,
Claude Lemaire, on my home computer only.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen, and the males pick up and track the airbourne pheromone plume with their well-developed antennae.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are probably deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage.

Hylesia discifex larvae are probably highly gregarious and have the urticating spines typical of larvae from the Subfamily Hemileucinae.

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.

I do not know the origin of the genus name Hylesia.

The reason for the species name discifex is unknown to me.