Hyperchiria parallela
Updated as per Entomo-Satsphingia Jahrgang 4 Heft 04 21.10.2011; November 28, 2012

Hyperchiria parallela
Brechlin, Kach & Meister 2011

Hyperchiria parallela male, 54mm, Tinalandia, Pichincha, Ecuador,
March 28, 2001, 800m, Francisco Piņas, S.J.; id and digital repair by Bill Oehlke

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Tribe: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Genus: Hyperchiria, Hubner, [1819]

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DISTRIBUTION:

Hyperchiria parallela (wingspan: males: 54mm; females: mm / forewing length: males: mm; females: 35-37mm) flies in
western Ecuador: Pichincha: near Los Bancos; Carchi: near Rio Baloso; at elevations from 550-1000m.

This moth belongs to the plicata group.

It has been taken at same time and same location as H. volcana, and its species name, parallela, was chosen because of the similarities of time and place between the two species. H. volcana, however, is quite distinct, belonging to the nausica group.

Eight females, but no males, have barcodes as of November 2013 (to my knowledge). It may be that the calling time is near dawn, or at least after collectors have retired for the night.

If my id of the moth from Tinalandia, Pichincha, Ecuador, is correct, both the male and female have very grey hindwing marginal areas, and the hindwing ocellus lies relatively close to the median band. The forewing ground colour is a relatively uniform dark brown.

Please note: The advent of DNA barcoding has resulted in many new descriptions (approximately 200 "new" Saturniidae species, 2010; even more in 2011-2013). 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.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been reported taken in March, April and June. There are probably additional flight months.

Hyperchiria parallela larvae possibly eat Berberis lauina, Cassia corymbosa, Celtis spinosa, Fagus, Ficus benjamina, Laburnum, Platanus orientalis, Quercus, Quercus ilex and Serjania.

Hyperchiria parallela female, 70mm, Pichincha, Ecuador,
on my home computer only.

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.

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.

Berberis lauina
Cassia corymbosa .......
Celtis spinosa
Fagus
Ficus benjamina
Laburnum
Platanus orientalis
Quercus
Quercus ilex
Serjania

Barberry
Autumn senna
Hackberry
Beech
Benjamin tree
Bean tree
Oriental sycamore
Oak
Holly/Holm oak
Serjania

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