DISTRIBUTION:

Leucanella newmani (wingspan: males: 69-85mm; females: 83-84mm) flies in the South Andean regions of
Bolivia: La Paz, Beni, Santa Cruz;
Bolivia: La Paz: Ixiamas, -13.758, -68.144, 1993-10-01;
Bolivia: La Paz: Iturralde: Ixiamas, -13.757, -68.145, collected by Decaens, Lecourt, 1991-11-16;
Bolivia: Beni: Dirtroad Okinawa I to Trinidad, km. 274, 50 km before Puente San Pablo, -15.616, -63.612, collected by Haxaire & Herbin, 1994-07-26;
Bolivia: Beni: Dirtroad Trinidad to Yucumo, km. 50, 30 km after Rio Mamore, -14.964, -65.385, Haxaire & Herbin, 1994-07-27;
Bolivia: Beni: 1 km before Yucumo, 318 km from La Paz, -15.151, -67.037, collected by Haxaire & Herbin, 1994-08-06;
Bolivia: Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz to Cochabamba, km 60, near Bermejo, -18.144, -63.621, collected by Herbin & Laguerre, 2000-10-26 (Mirror);
Brazil: Mato Grosso;
Brazil: Para: Pacaja: Pacaja-BPC216, -3.727, -51.039, collected by T. Decaens, 2008-06-01 (Mirror);
Peru: Loreto; and
Ecuador: Napo, Sucumbios, Orellana, possibly Tungurahua; (replaced in eastern Ecuador by Leucanella manzanoi)
in low elevation Andean Forests at elevations of 70 - 1500m.

This smaller species has falcate forewings in the male and an antemedial line that is almost perpendicular to the inner margin. Forewing ground colour is olive-grey. The pm line is preapical, considerably more so than in L. acutissima. The outer yellow ring of the hindwing eyespot tends to be quite narrow.

Leucanella newmani, Cristalino Jungle Lodge, Mato Grosso, Brazil,
August 4, 2007, 71m, courtesy/copyright of Johan van't Bosch,
id by Bill Oehlke, confirmed by Luigi Racheli and Carlos Mielke.

DNA analysis may be necessary to distinguish this species from the recently described Leucanella bonillensis from the Muzo region of Boyaca, Colombia. Both species are also very similar to Leucanella acutissima from Central America. Images courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

I do not know enough about DNA analysis to make many comments, but I suspect there will be many new divisions/classifications created to accomodate differences revealed through such analyis which are not evident from a visual perusal of the moths or their genitalia. In the fall of 2009 I received comments from a gentleman in Minnesota who had wild male cecropia fly in to pair with females emerged from cocoons from the eastern states. He reports the eggs did not hatch from several such pairings. Perhaps there are even some real differences between "same species" moths from different regions.

Based on above comments, it will be very interesting to see where similar Leucanella from Panama (should they be discovered) or western Brazil or other Colombian departments between the known ranges of acutissima, bonillensis, and newmani are placed/determined.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in February, July-August and October, suggesting at least three broods annually. Leucanella newmani larvae will eat Ligustrum.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are laid in clusters and larvae, which have urticating spines, feed gregariously.

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......

Privet

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 "newmani" is honourific.

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Leucanella bonillenis, acutissima, newmani, on my home computer only.