|
Updated as per Entomo-Satsphingia Jahrgang 4 Heft 04 21.10.2011; November 28, 2012 |
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 |
"Someone to Watch |
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.
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.
Berberis lauina |
Barberry |
Return to Hyperchiria genus
Return to South American Saturniidae Directory
Return to Main Saturniidae Index