DISTRIBUTION:

Hylesia nanus (wingspan: males: 32-46mm; females:51-56mm) flies in
Brazil: Bahia; Rio de Janeiro; Minas Gerais (LV); Sao Paulo; Santa Catarina; Parana (CM);
Columbia: Meta, Valle;
Venezuela: Bolivar, Zulia;
Ecuador: Napo, Tungurahua, Morona-Santiago;
Peru: San Martin, Junin: Shima (near Satipo, Junin, 700m), (probably Huanuco and Pasco (WO?));
Surinam: ;
Guyana: ;
French Guiana: Cayenne, Regina, Cacao, Coralie, Kaw, Saul;
Bolivia: La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz; at elevations from sea level to 2200m above sea level.

Ezequiel Osvaldo Núñez Bustos sent me a paper in August 2015 which includes Hylesia nanus in northeastern Argentina.

Males have a distinct forewing shape and a yellow eyespot on the hindwing. Females have a faint black ring around a concolourous hindwing eyespot.

The thorax is dark brown dorsally with orangey-brown encroachments from the sides; the abdomen is dull orange-grey. The greyish-beige male forewing is narrow and elongated with a produced apex.

The hindwings have an oblique outer margin in the spread position.

Hylesia nanus male, Barra de Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
courtesy of Nick Percival.

Specimens have been taken at elevations ranging from 250 - 2230m.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Larval hosts are unknown.

This species probably broods continuously on a three-four month cycle. There are usually peak flights in February, June and September-October. FGS reports a specimen taken in November in French Guiana.

Hylesia nanus male (resting position), Barra de Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
courtesy of Nick Percival.

Hylesia nanus male, Shima (near Satipo), Junin, Peru,
700m, courtesy of Peter Bruce-Jones.

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. This moth is seldom taken at light sources, however, peak activity seems to be from 8:30 until 11:00 pm.

Hylesia nanus courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

Hylesia nanus female, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
January 9, 2013, courtesy of Larry valentine.

Hylesia nanus female, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
January 9, 2013, courtesy of Larry valentine.

Hylesia nanus female, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
January 9, 2013, courtesy of Larry valentine.

Notice the pale hindwing ocellus on both recto and verso of female hindwing. I might have missed it if Larry had not manipulated the wings for a better view. This is a distinguishing character for this species.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage.

Hylesia nanus 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.

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Hylesia nanus male, Kaw, French Guiana,
on my home computer only.

Hylesia nanus female, French Guiana,
on my home computer only.