DISTRIBUTION:

The Leucanella apollinairei moth (wingspan: males: 75(TS)-80-85mm; females: 98-104mm) flies in
Colombia: Meta and probably Amazonas and Putamayo;
Ecuador: Napo, Orellana (TS), Morona-Santiago and possibly Pastaza;
Peru *: Loreto, Amazonas, Cusco, Madre de Dios, Junin (PB-J), (probably San Martin, Huanuco, Pasco (WO?)); and
southern Venezuela in the Andean region in low altitude forests of 1000 - 1400m.

* Based on recent (2011) DNA barcoding results, I now believe the specimens from Peru are much more likely to be Leucanella christbrechlinae, which has a smaller hindwing ocellus. I am not sure where the southern range of apollinairei ends and where the northen range of christbrechlinae belongs. Perhaps they are sympatric in some areas, but I doubt it.

I have moved some of the images from this page to the L. christbrechlinae page.

Leucanella apollinairei male, Yasuni, Orellana, Ecuador,
75mm, October 2000, 300m, courtesy of Terry Stoddard.

This species has a burgundy-pinkish body and forewing ground colour with a very narrow antemedial line and a prominent, very wide, yellow to gold postmedial line. The hindwing ground colour is brownish-grey; the pupil is dark, large and oblong.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in April, June-July-August and September-January, suggesting three or four broods annually.

Leucanella apollinairei larvae probably will eat Ligustrum. Bernhard Wenczel reports success with Salix and Rubus, but not with Ligustrum.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use well-developed antennae to seek out females which scent at night.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Relatively large, oval, white eggs are laid in clusters, and larvae, which probably have yellow and/or white urticating spines projecting from a black skin, feed gregariously.

The cocoon is probably brown, sturdy, leaf-wrapped and affixed to a stem.

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.

Ligustrum Prunus spinosa Rubus Salix Salix helvetica .......

Privet Blackthorn Bramble Willow Swiss willow

The pronunciation of scientific names is troublesome for many. The "suggestion" at the top of the page is merely a suggestion. It is based on commonly accepted English pronunciation of Greek names and/or some fairly well accepted "rules" for latinized scientific names.

The suggested pronunciations, on this page and on other pages, are primarily put forward to assist those who hear with internal ears as they read.

There are many collectors from different countries whose intonations and accents would be different.

Some of the early describers/namers chose genus and species names indicating some character of the insect, but more often, they simply chose names from Greek or Roman mythology or history.

Those species names which end in "ensis" indicate a specimen locale, and those which end in "i", pronounced "eye", honour a contempory friend/collector/etc.

I do not know the source of the genus name "Leucanella" chosen by Lemaire in 1969. PERHAPS (pure speculation by Bill Oehlke) it was chosen for the "little light" spots surrounding the pupil in the type species leucane.

The species name "apollinaire" is honourific for Apollinaire.

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Return to Leucanella Genus

Visit Leucanella of Colombia, id chart.

Visit Leucanella of Ecuador, id chart.

Visit Leucanella of Peru, id chart.