DISTRIBUTION:

Hylesia oblonga (wingspan: males: 33-39mm; females: 53-68mm) flies in
southeastern Brazil: Sao Paulo: Sao Carlos (850m).

This species is most similar to Hylesia metabus. In the male the antennae are dull orange, the thorax is greyish brown, and the abdomen is yellow. The mouse-grey forewing is not elongated; the apex is rounded with a prominent whitish oval, and the outer margin is straight to slightly convex. The straight, brown antemedial line is inwardly bordered in white. The pm line is slightly convex (straight but turns toward body at costa); the submarginal band is outwardly bordered in white, and the area surrounding the dark, oval discal spot is also whitish.

The female is very similar to the male.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Larval hosts are unknown.

Flight records exist for December.

Hylesia oblonga AT female, Sao Carlos, Sao Paulo, Brazil,
December 14, 1987, on my home computer only.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen, and the night-flying males pickup 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 oblonga larvae are probably highly gregarious and probably 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

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