DISTRIBUTION:

Hylesia melanostigma (wingspan: males: 44-54mm; females: 58-66mm) flies in
Brazil: Para, Amazonas; possibly as far south as northern Mato Grosso;
French Guiana: Oyapok, Cayenne, Regina, Cacao, Coralie, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, Saint-Jean-du-Maroni, Saul, Apatou;
Venezuela: Delta Amacuro, Bolivar, Amazonas;
(probably Suriname and Guyana);
Colombia: Amazonas;
Ecuador: Sucumbios, Orellana, Napo, Morona-Santiago and probably Pastaza;
Peru: Loreto, Junin (VI), Huanuco, Madre de Dios, (probably Ucayali, Pasco, Cusco (WO?)); and
Bolivia: La Paz; at elevations of 100-1400 meters above sea level.

Hylesia melanostigma female, Cristalino Jungle Lodge, Mato Grosso, Brazil,
August 6, 2007, courtesy of Johan van t Bosch, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

The female depicted above is either H. melanostigma, Hylesia gyrex or an undescribed Hylesia species. I think it is a fresh specimen and that is why the forewing outer margin seems so irregular. I have gone with melanostigma over gyrex because of the noticeable black forewing cell marking, the fairly distinct am line marking and the less than produced forewing apex. The location is more in line with Lemaire's geography for gyrex.

The thorax is mouse grey with some yellowish hairs. The abdomen is brown, abundantly covered with yellow to orange hairs. The broad, falcate, apically produced forewing is strongly concave (male only) from veins M1 to M3 and then becomes convex to the anal angle.

The thin, straight am and pm lines are dark against a light grey-beige ground colour. A distinct, dark, oblong cell mark is probably responsible for the species name.

The hindwing is marked by a short tail at CuA1.

Hylesia melanostigma male, Tena, Napo, Ecuador, courtesy of Steve Ife.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Larval hosts are unknown.

In French Guiana, this moth appears to brood continuously with specimens taken in January, February, March, April, May, August, November and December.

Hylesia melanostigma (male), Peru, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

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. Moths come to lights readily with most activity between 8:30 and 11:00 pm.

Hylesia melanostigma male, Coviriali, Junin, Peru,
December, 2008, 662m, courtesy of Vladimir Izersky.

Hylesia melanostigma female, Coviriali, Junin, Peru,
November 14, 2008, 662m, courtesy of Vladimir Izersky,
id by Bill Oehlke.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are probably deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage or twigs.

Hylesia melanostigma larvae probably are 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 species name "melanostigma" is for the prominent, very dark marking in the forewing cell.

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