DISTRIBUTION:

Lonomia descimoni (forewing length: males: 33-39mm; females: 46-53mm) flies in
Ecuador: Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Morona-Satiago, Zamora-Chinchipe, and generally in the Guyano-Amazonin region from
Colombia: Meta, and probably Caqueta, Putamayo, Guaviare, Guainia, Vaupes, Amazonas (confirmed SS); to
French Guiana: Cayenne, Regina, Coralie, Kaw, Saul, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, Saint-Jean-du-Maroni, Eleonor, Cacao;
French Guiana: Nouragues: Heliport - Drop Zone, 4.088, -52.681, collected by MAS. Smith & R. Rougerie, 2011-02-06;
French Guiana: Nouragues: Forest border, 4.088, -52.681, collected by MAS. Smith & R. Rougerie, 2011-01-31;
in tropical rain forests at elevations between 120 and 900 m. Specimens have also been confirmed from or are expected from
Peru: Huanuco, Madre de Dios, (Junin VI), probably Loreto;
Venezuela: Territorio Federal Amazonas;
Brazil: Para and probably Amapa, Roraima, Acre and Rondonia; possibly northern Mato Grosso (BF).
This species also flies in
Bolivia: La Paz, Beni (ALBCOL);
possibly Suriname: probably in Sipaliwini and Brokopondo; and
possibly Guyana: probably in Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo, East Berbice-Corentyne.

Lonomia descimoni pair, Meta (Colombia), courtesy of T. Decaëns

Examination of genitalia is required to distinguish Lonomia descimoni from similar species: obliqua, achelous, pseudobliqua. Wing shape and colour vary considerably from specimen to specimen.

Lonomia descimoni, Coviriali, Junin, Peru,
February 14, 2008, 662m, courtesy of Vladimir Izersky, id by Bill Oehlke.

Vladimir sent me the image of the moth depicted above as L. pseudobliqua, but I think it is more likely l. descimoni because of its lower elevation.

L. pseudobliqua is more of a montane species.

Lonomia descimoni male, Christalino Lodge, Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, Brazil,
September 23, 2014, courtesy of Brian Fletcher, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This species probably flies year round with a minimum of four broods.

The larval host(s) is/are unknown.

Lonomia descimoni yellow male, Eleonor, French Guiana,
January 31, 2000, courtesy of Rodolphe Rougerie, French Guiana Systematique.

Lonomia descimoni reddish-brown male, Cacao, French Guiana,
December, 1998, courtesy of Rodolphe Rougerie, French Guiana Systematique.

Lonomia descimoni female, Eleonor, French Guiana,
January 31, 2000, courtesy of Rodolphe Rougerie, French Guiana Systematique.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females emit a scent into the night sky. Male fly into the wind and track the pheromone plume with their antennae.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Typical of the Subfamily Hemileucinae, Lonomia species all have urticating spines.

Larvae are gregarious.

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 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 "Lonomia" chosen by Walker in 1855.

The species name is honourific for H. Descimon.

This page is designed and maintained by Bill Oehlke as part of the World's Largest Saturniidae Site.