DISTRIBUTION:

The Leucanella aspera aspera moth (wingspan: males: 50-62mm; females: 63-70mm) flies in
Argentina: Jujuy; Salta; Catamarca; La Rioja; Tucuman; Chaco; Santiago del Estero: Villa La Punta; Cordoba: Amancay; Santa Fe; Entre Rios; La Pampa; and in
Chile;
Uruguay: Colonia and Paysandu;
Paraguay: (UD: Alto Paraguay, Boqueron, President Hayes), and (possibly in (Asuncion and Central WO?); and in
Bolivia: Chuquisaca and Cochabamba amongst dry Chaco vegetation on savannas and pampas at elevations from sea level to 2700m.

Female Leucanella aspera aspera, Entre Rios, Argentina, courtesy of Daniel Rojas Lanus.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing from September until February, probably as two or three generations annually. Ulf Dreschel confirms two generations in Paraguay.

Ezequiel Osvaldo Nunez Bustos reports a November flight in Villa La Punta, Santiago del Estero, Argentina.

Adriana Inés Zapata, via Nigel Venters, indicates February and October flights in Cordoba, Argentina.

October to March would be spring to summer months in South America.

Leucanella aspera male, Villa La Punta, Santiago del Estero, Argentina,
November 2008, courtesy of Ezequiel Osvaldo Nunez Bustos.

Leucanella aspera, Amancay, Cardoba, Argentina,
2012, courtesy of Carlos Marzano.

Leucanella aspera larvae eat Celtis tala, Fagus, Laburnum, Ligustrum, Mimosa laurentzii, Prosopis algarobilla and Robinia pseudoacacia. Adriana Inés Zapata, via Nigel Venters, adds Prosopis caldenia, Mimosa detinens, Celtis ehrenbergiana, falsa acacia, and “Malus hillieri” (Rosaceae).

Leucanella aspera male, Argentina, courtesy of Hubert Mayer

Leucanella aspera female, Argentina, courtesy of Hubert Mayer

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING: The much smaller males use well-developed antennae to seek out females which scent at night. Male Leucanella aspera aspera, Entre Rios, Argentina, courtesy of Daniel Rojas Lanus.

Leucanella aspera female, Paraguay, courtesy/copyright Ulf Drechsel.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Green eggs, which later turn yellow with a black micropyle, are laid in clusters, and larvae, which pass through six instars and have urticating spines, feed gregariously.

In the final instar the head and skin are black, the skin speckled with small oval greenish yellow dots. The middorsal stripe is yellowish green and the subspiracular bands are pinkish white.

This larva is quite different from those of other Leucanella species. Visit Leucanella aspera larvae.

Carlos Marzano recently sent me the following image, indicating it as Leucanella aspera. Unfortunately the larva perished before spinning its cocoon. It appears quite different from the larval images provided by Ulf Drechsel. Maybe it is something else??

Leucanella aspera ?? fifth instar, Olivos, Misiones, Argentina,
April 2012, courtesy of Dr. Carlos Marzano.

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.

Aspidosperma quebrachoblance....... Celtis spinosa Celtis tala Fagus Laburnum Ligustrum Manihot grahamii (CM) Mimosa hexandra Mimosa laurentzii Prosopis affinis Prosopis alba Prosopis algarobilla..... Prosopis kunzei (CM) Prosopis nigra Robinia pseudoacacia...... Tamarix Terminalia catappa (CM)

Quebracho Tala Hackberry Beech Bean tree Privet Hardy Tapioca (CM) Mimosa hexandra Mimosa laurentzii Screwbean Algarobilla Mesquite itín, palo mataco, carandá or barba de tigre Mesquite/Screwbean Black locust/False acacia Salt cedar Bengal almond, Singapore almond, Ebelebo, Malabar almond, Indian almond, Tropical almond, Sea almond, Beach Almond

Leucanella aspera aspera (male), Chile, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Leucanella aspera aspera (male), Bolivia, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Leucanella aspera aspera (female), Argentina, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Leucanella aspera aspera (female), Argentina, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

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 "aspera", from the Latin, is possibly for rough terrain or difficult traveling in the area of first discovery.

Carlos Marzano sends the following:

• Clase: Insecta Linnaeus, 1758 - Insects
• Orden: Lepidoptera Linnaeus, 1758
• Soborden: Heterocera
• Superfamilia: Bombycoidea
• Familia: Saturniidae - Boisduval, 1834 [1837]
• Subfamilia: Hemileucinae
• Tribu: Hemileucini
• Género: Leucanella
• Especie: aspera Felder 1874
• Foto tomada en VIlla AMANCAY CORDOBA -ARGENTINA ENERO 2012

Familia Saturniidae
"Los Saturniidae son miembros de la superfamilia Bombycoidea. Estas especies son medianas a grandes en tamaño, y esta familia incluye las mariposas nocturnas más grandes en América del Norte. Los adultos tienen una envergadura de 3 a 15 centímetros, cabezas relativamente pequeñas, y los cuerpos densamente peludos. Las larvas suelen ser muy carnosas, con grupos de largas cerdas, polilla y orugas tienen pelos. Las orugas se alimentan de las hojas de la mayoría de los árboles y arbustos; algún daño causa grave. Pupa se desarrollan en un capullo de seda o en el suelo.

"Orugas de Leucanella aspera encontre sobre Prosopis nigra, y en cautiverio acceptan otras especies de Prosopis tambien. Probe P. alba y P. kunzei, ambos fueron acceptados inmediatamente. Desde el huevo crie L. aspera con Terminalia catappa, durante 2 generaciones.

"Datos de Paraguay por Ulf Drechsel."

Leucanella aspera male, Amancay, Cardoba, Argentina,
January 2012, courtesy of Carlos Marzano.

Leucanella aspera male, Amancay, Cardoba, Argentina,
January 2012, courtesy of Carlos Marzano.

Leucanella aspera male, Amancay, Cardoba, Argentina,
January 2012, courtesy of Carlos Marzano.

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