DISTRIBUTION:

Hylesia (Extremylesia) extremex (wingspan: males: 44mm; females: // forewing length: males: 25.5mm; females: larger) flies in moist montane habitats of 2500m altitude in Oxapampa, Pasco, Peru.

In 2016, Brechlin & Meister introduced the subgenus Extremylesia to include two species, H. (E.) extremex from Pasco, Peru, and H. (E.) chrisbrechlinae from Huanuco, Peru.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens were collected in early April by Bernhard Wenczel and Jose Boettger.

Larval hosts are unknown at this time.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage.

Hylesia extremex 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.

Return to Hylesia Index

Return to Main Saturniidae Index

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 species name "extremex" is for the high altitude and southern range of this species.