DISTRIBUTION:

Hyperchiria interacuta (approximate wingspan: males: 50-52mm; females: mm / forewing length: males: 25-26mm; females: mm) flies in
Peru: Junin.

This species is placed by Brechlin & Meister in the Hyperchiria plicata group, and it is intermediate between H. acuta, found in northern Peru: Amazonas; San Martin; and in Ecuador; and H. australoacuta, found in southern Peru and Boliva.

I notice a slight projection in the forewing outer margin, just below the hollowed out region, below the produced apex. I do not know if that is a consistent character.

Please note: The advent of DNA barcoding has resulted in many new descriptions (approximately 200 "new" Saturniidae species, 2010). In many cases the "new" species are quite similar to existing species. Do not be surprised if more refined testing or revisions of "thresholds of difference" result in some synonymies or even more species/subspecies designations. Subsequent rearing may or may not indicate differences in larval appearance. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out.

Hyperchiria interacuta male, 52mm, Junin, Peru,
on my home computer only.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in June-July and December at elevations of 650-2000m. There are probably additional flight months.

Hyperchiria interacuta larval hosts are unknown.

Visit the Hyperchiria plicata Group to see a comparison plate covering the eight species listed by Brechlin and Meister, 2013, as belonging to the Hyperchiria plicata Group, which has species where the iris of the hindwing ocellus is red with a relatively small white pupil, and the hindwing ground colour is beige.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use well-developed antennae to seek out females which scent at night. The female is as yet undescribed.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Typical of species in the genus Hyperchiria and the Subfamily Hemileucinae, the larvae are armed with urticating spines.

Larval Food Plants

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the anticipated foodplants will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

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