DISTRIBUTION:

Hylesia metabus (wingspan: males: 40-47mm; females: 53-60mm) flies in
Suriname: Saramacca, Marowijne;
Guyana: ;
French Guiana: Cayenne, Macouria, Matoury, Kaw, Regina, Nancibo, Cacao, Saint-Georges, Camopi, Kourou, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, Iracoubo, Saint-Jean-du-Maroni, Maripasoula, Saul, Belizon;
Venezuela: Bolivar, Amazonas, Sucre, Federal District, Miranda, Carabobo, Yaracuy (100-450m);
Trinidad;
Ecuador: Sucumbios, Napo, Morona-Santiago and probably Pastaza (150-1130m;
Peru: Loreto, Huanuco, Junin (600-850m);
Bolivia: La Paz (750-1200m); and
Brazil: Rondonia, Amazonas, Para, Alagoas (250m).

"The egg-nests of Hylesia metabus (Cramer, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) contain two toxins with distinct biological activity, Ulf Lundberg, ulundber4412@cantv.net and Victor Salazar, vsalazar@ivic.ve. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Departamento de Biología Estructural, Carretera Panamercana km. 11, Edo. Miranda, Apartado 21827, Caracas 1020A, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela.

"The Hylesia genus comprises a group of neotropical moths ubiquitous in the Americas from Arizona to Argentina. One of the species of the Hylesia genus in Venezuela, French Guyana and Trinidad has been identified as Hylesia metabus (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). In Venezuela these moths are found in abundance in the mangrove swamps surrounding the Gulf of Paria and the Orinoco Delta in the eastern part of the country. During the mating season the female adults shed copious amounts of urticating setae in the air producing a severe papulo-vesicular dermatitis with retarded onset among the population in the affected areas. The morbidity produced by this species severely affects the public health of the general population, and also severely restricts the socio-economic activities in the affected areas i.e. agriculture and educational activities. The females use their urticating setae to protect the eggs from potential predators during the hatching period. Extracts from Female Adult Abdominal Seatae (FAAS) or egg-nests gives rise to a retarded inflammatory reaction characterized by massive infiltration of inflammatory cells, echymoses, and vascular degeneration when evaluated in a guinea pig ear-pouch system. Recent studies have shown that the Hylesia metabus venom is made up of two distinct proteins with proteolytic properties having selectively vasodegenerative-fibrinolytic or pro-inflammatory properties."

The thorax is yellow to grey and the abdomen is yellow, sometimes ringed with black. The variable (dull yellow, pink, brown) forewing is only slightly elongated and not at all produced. The lines are outwardly bordered with whitish scaling. The faint am line is almost straight, sometimes slightly concave. There is a whitish area in the cell just inside the darker cell marking. Another whitish area lies just below the apex.

In Peru it is very difficult to distinguish this species from H. cedomnibus, but I believe the following images from Junin are of H. metabus. However, examination of genitalia would probably be necessary to confirm identification.

Hylesia metabus male, Coviriali, Junin, Peru,
November 19, 2008, 662m, courtesy of Vladimir Izersky.

Hylesia metabus female, Coviriali, Junin, Peru,
November 14, 2008, 662m, courtesy of Vladimir Izersky.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Larvae feed on Avicennia nitida and Psidium guajava and many other plants.

This species probably broods continuously on a three month cycle. Vladimir Izersky has taken them in November and December in Peru.

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 metabus larvae 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.

Avicennia nitida Psidium guajava .......

Black mangrove Guava

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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.

I do not know the reason for the species name "metabus".

The following image(s) may or may not appear on your monitor, depending upon whether or not I get permission from respective photographers/owners to display them. I do have permission for my own private use.

Hylesia metabus male, Belizon, French Guiana,
February 2001, collection of Daniel Prin, photo copyright Rene Lehousse,
French Guiana Systematique.

Hylesia metabus female, Kaw, French Guiana,
November 11, 2001, collection of Rene Lahousse, photo copyright Rene Lehousse,
French Guiana Systematique.

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