DISTRIBUTION:

Hylesia rex (wingspan: males: 33-40mm; females: 48-52mm) flies in
French Guiana: Camopi, Cayenne, Regina, Coralie, Saint-Jean-du-Maroni, Saul;
Surinam: Moloko Janmene;
(probably Guyana)
to Venezuela: Bolivar, Amazonas, Delta Amacuro;
to the eastern slopes of the Andes in
Ecuador: Napo and Morona-Santiago and probably Pastaza;
Peru: Huanuco, Loreto, Junin, Madre de Dios, Cusco, Puno;
Bolivia: La Paz, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba; and
Brazil: Amazonas; Rondonia.

The thorax is dark brown. The abdomen is slightly orangey-brown. Males are dark brown with a purplish grey suffusion in the median area of a broad forewing. The very strong and contrasting straight postmedial line and forewing discal spot are dark brown. The apex may or may not be slightly produced. The brown submarginal band is outwardly bordered with purplish-grey, and there is a brown crescent area just below the apex.

DNA barcoding analysis has resulted in many new names being put forward for specimens that formerly would have been classified as H. rex. Outward appearance is, in many cases, quite similar. The following were added to the Hylesia rex Subgroup in 2016:

Hylesia bolivarex flies in Las Trincheras, Bolivar, Venezuela.
Hylesia yarumalex flies in Yarumal, Antioquia, Colombia.
Hylesia tatamex flies in P.N. Tatama, Risaralda, Colombia.
Hylesia metrex flies in Meta, Colombia (HT), and in Boyaca, Columbia, and surprisingly in Yuyapichi, Huanuco, Peru.
Hylesia juprex flies in Vereda Jupa, Boyaca, Colombia.
Hylesia satiprex flies in Satipo, Junin, Peru.
Hylesia yuyapichrex flies in Yuyapichi, Huanuco, Peru.
Hylesia andrex flies near Marcapata, Cusco, Peru; Cochabamba and La Paz, Bolivia.

I suspect H. rex is more likely limited to the Guyano-Amazonian biome.

Hylesia metabus (possibly H. andrex) female, Coviriali, Junin, Peru,
February 12, 2008, 662m, courtesy of Vladimir Izersky, id by Bill Oehlke.

Specimens have been taken at elevations from 100 - 1700m.

Hylesia rex?? (probably H. andrex) male, 38mm, San Pedro, Cusco, Peru,
October 23, 2010, 1370m, courtesy of Jim Vargo, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

The above image, provided by Jim Vargo, is a pretty good match for Hylesia rex and may very well be that species. The very broad, dark, pm line, however, is wider than in other mages I have seen. This may be a variable character in rex, or perhaps the above specimen s something as yet undescribed.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Larval hosts are unknown.

This species probably broods continuously on a three month cycle.

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. Hostplant is unknown.

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

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are anticipated primary food plant(s) and alternate 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 Geus
Main Saturniidae Index

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.

Hylesia rex male, Saul, French Guiana,
October 22, 2003 collection of Philippe Collet, photo copyright Rene Lahousse,
French Guiana Systematique.

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