DISTRIBUTION:

Hylesia praeda praeda (wingspan: males: 41-50mm; females: 58-64mm // mfwl: 22-26mm) flies in
Ecuador: Loja (HT) and Zamora-Chinchipe; possibly replaced in other Ecuadorian provinces like Pichincha, Napo, Morona-Santiago; Pastaza; etc; by very similar newly designated species;
Panama: Canal Zone; Panama (SA);
Venezuela: Carabobo, Yaracuy, Tachira;
Guyana: Mazaruni-Potaro;
probably Suriname: ;
French Guiana: Kaw, Cayenne, Cacao, Regina, Coralie, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, Saul Tonate, Saint-Jean-du-Maroni, Piste du Plateau Mines;
Colombia: Antioquia and probably Valle del Cauca and Nariono (more likely praedpichinchensis in western Colombia);
Peru: Loreto (ESs); Amazonas (ESs); Ucayali (ESs) but possibly one of the newer species in other Peruvian Departments: Huanuco, Junin, Madre de Dios, Puno; and
western Brazil: Amazonas. This species has been taken at elevations from 30m to 1000m. Possibly the higher elevations indicated by Lemaire are for similar species.

I think true praeda is a decidely low elevation species. It may be limited to eastern Ecuador and northern Peru. The specimen from Amazonas, Peru, in the 2016 Entomo-Satsphingia journal shows a specimen matching Lemaire's description of praeda males, having a more sinuate fw pm line. The new designations by Brechlin & Meister, 2016, also suggest that specimens from French Guiana, Colombia, some Peru departments and some Ecuador provinces are likely something other than Hylesia praeda.

The specimen images recently provided by Seth Ausubel could be praeda, but I am more now thinking they are either 1) rufipes with a southern extension of that species' range from Nicaragua and Costa Rica into Panama; 2) rubriprocta with a northwestern extension of that species' range from north central Colombia into Panama; or 3) something as yet undescribed.

Lemaire had included western Colombia: Choco; Valle de Cauca and western Ecuador: Pichincha as part of the range of praeda. I now think those specimens are probably the recently (2016) described praedpichinchensis.

Lemaire had included Colombian departments of Boyaca; Cundinamarca; Meta as part of the range of praeda. I now think those specimens, and specimens from Antioquia and Santander, Colombia, and are probably rubriprocta, removed (2016) from synonymity with preada.

Lemaire had included eastern Peru: Huanuco; Pasco; Junin; Cusco; Madre de Dios as part of the range of praeda. I now think those specimens are the recently (2016) described praedperuana and praedjunensis, with Hylesia praeda limited possibly to southeastern Ecuador: Loja (HT); Zamora-Chichipe and northern Peru: Amazonas; Loreto, Ucayali.

H. praednapoana probably replaces Lemaire's inclusion of praeda in Napo, Ecuador.

At the very least it will be extremely difficult to identify moths from digital images or even hand held specimens unless precise locations are given, and, in many cases, only DNA analysis will be sufficient to confirm determinations.

It is also quite possible that Brechlin & Meister have set the bar too low with regard to determination of new species, but I do think their elevation of H. praeda nigra from Bolivia and possibly Puno, Peru, to full species status is justified as is their assigning of praedguiana to specimens depicted by Lemaire from F.G. as praeda.

The following description of praeda very well fits the appearance of many of the HT males of the new species. I must say, however, that I would expect a different species from the western Andean slopes, and the thick, distinct pm line of praedpichinchensis seems to distinguish it from praeda.

In the male dorsal view (underside carmine), the thorax is dark brown with some grey hairs on the tegulae. The abdomen is black. The forewing is broad with a slightly produced apex. The remainder of the outer margin is slightly convex. Ground colour is orange-brown to dark grey with some lavender suffusion. The subparallel, slightly concave lines are dark brown, weak nearest the costa, becoming wider and more prominent nearest the inner margin. The subterminal line is heavily scalloped. There is a distinct dark brown apical region, and the lower half of the basal area has considerable dark scaling. The discal cell is dark and may or may not be pronounced.

At the time of Lemaire' publication of Hemileucinae, 2002, there were five species/subspecies included in the SUBGROUP of Hylesia praeda:
Hylesia rufipes LT; Limon, Costa Rica; Nicaragua;
Hylesia praeda HT: near Loja/Zamora-Chinchipe border, Ecuador; Panama; French Guiana; Guyana; Venezuela; Colombia; Peru: Amazonas; Loreto; Ucayali; and western Brazil;
Hylesia praeda nigra HT: La Paz; Cochabamba, Bolivia;
Hylesia index LT: Carabaya, Puno, Peru; Venezuela; eastern Ecuador; eastern Peru: Ucayali?; Bolivia: Cochabamba;
Hylesia haxairei HT: Bolivar, Venezuela; French Guiana; Brazil: Para.

As of 2016, Brechlin and Meister have expanded the group to 15 species. H. praeda nigra has been elevated to full species status as Hylesia nigra HT La Paz; Bolivia. Hylesia rubriprocta, HT eastern Colombia: probably Antioquia and Santander; formerly synonymized with praeda, is given full species status.

H. frederici HT Roura, Kaw, French Guiana and H. vassali HT Piste de Nancibo, French Guiana, formerly in a group of their own, are now in the Hylesia praeda subgroup.

Hylesia rufex LT Brazil: Minas Gerais; Rio de Janeiro; Santa Catarina; and Paraguay: Itapua and Guaira. has also been added to the subgroup.

Six new species have been added to the group based on DNA barcoding analysis:

H. praednapoana HT: Ecuador: Napo: Rio Holland;
H. praedpichinchensis HT: Ecuador: Pichincha: Los Blancos;
H. praedjunensis HT Peru: Junin: San Ramon;
H. praedperuana HT Peru: Huanuco: Panguana; Cusco; Madre de Dios;
H. praedguiana HT French Guiana: Cayenne;
H. inducayalex HT Peru: Ucayali; Peurto Bermudes.

Visit Hylesia praeda Group: Comparison Table.

Hylesia praeda praeda/rufipes/rubriprocta/something undescribed/???? male,
Canopy Tower, Panama, Panama,
November 1, 2017, courtesy of Seth Ausubel, id by Bill Oehlke.

Hylesia praeda praeda/rufipes/rubriprocta/something undescribed/???? male,
Canopy Tower, Panama, Panama,
November 1, 2017, courtesy of Seth Ausubel, id by Bill Oehlke.

Hylesia praeda praeda male, 45mm, Amazonas, Peru,
on my home computer only.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Larval foodplants are unknown.

This species probably broods continuously on a three month cycle, with peak flights from November-March.

Hylesia praeda praeda female, 58mm, Loreto, Peru,
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 pick up and track the airbourne pheromone plume with their well-developed antennae. The dark brown lines are subparallel, weak nearer the costa, becoming wider and more prominent toward the inner margin. There is a dark brown patch near the apex, and the discal cell is also dark brown and may be prominent or weak. The lower half of the basal area has a heavier suffusion of dark brown.

Hylesia praeda praeda/rufipes/rubriprocta/something undescribed/???? male,
Canopy Tower, Panama, Panama,
November 1, 2017, courtesy of Seth Ausubel, id by Bill Oehlke.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage.

Hylesia praeda larvae are highly gregarious and have the urticating spines typical of larvae from the Subfamily Hemileucinae.

Mature larva has a brown head, white skin with black markings, legs, anal shield and spines.

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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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.

It is clear from the newer species designations and images, that these three images are not H. praeda praeda. They are a very good match for the ESs journal images of H. praedguiana, especially with the strong outturn of a very wide and irregular pml as it meets the inner margin. The brighter orange in the median and post median fields are also characters of praedguiana.

Hylesia praeda (praedguiana) male, Saul, French Guiana,
November 28, 2005, collection of B. Francois, photo copyright Rene Lehousse,
French Guiana Systematique.

Hylesia praeda (praedguiana) male, Kaw, French Guiana,
January 2002, collection of Rene Lahousse, photo copyright Rene Lahousse,
French Guiana Systematique.

Hylesia praeda (praedguiana) female, Cacao, French Guiana,
January 2002, collection of Rodolphe Rougerie, photo copyright Rene Lahousse,
French Guiana Systematique.

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