DISTRIBUTION:

Loxolomia serpentina (wingspan: males: 123-143mm; females: 134-150mm) flies in
Ecuador (questionable),
Venezuela (questionable),
Brazil: Espirito Santo: Santa Teresa; Bahia: near Camacan (A&FW); Rio de Janeiro: Teresopolis (GW), Petropolis, Independencia, Serra da Tijuca; Parana (CM), Minas Gerais (LV), Sao Paulo: Tapirai (EB), Salesopolis, Boraceia; and Santa Catarina: Joinville, Sao Bento do Sul, Jaragua do Sul, Rio Natal;
Peru (questionable-- Luigi Racheli indicates it does not fly in Peru.),
Bolivia (questionable).

Loxolomia serpentina, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
October 15, 2011, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Loxolomia serpentina Santa Catarina, Brazil,
courtesy of Jean Haxaire

In Lemaire's Arsenurinae, 1980 this species is listed as endemic to southeastern Brazil, but V. Izersky gives it a much wider range and validates with an image from Junin Province, Peru, June 14, 1998. Vladimir has indicated to me, however, that some of his specimen locales are inaccurate. I suspect this species is limited to southeastern Brazil. Luigi Racheli indicates it does not fly in Peru. Andean species are probably johnsoni.

Loxolomia serpentina, 140mm, Instituto Uiracu, Camacan, Bahia, Brasil,
Septermber 2011, 800m, courtesy of Anna&FrankWest

Loxolomia serpentina, Brazil, February 25, 2021, courtesy of Marcos Cesar Campis.

This species is taken at altitudes of 500-2200?? meters above sea level.

Loxolomia serpentina male, courtesy of Hubert Mayer copyright.

This species is smaller than L. johnsoni and the forewings are not as elongate. Serpentina also displays a large "tooth", representing the tail, on the hindwing. Johnsoni has an evenly rounded hindwing.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There are probably at least two generations of Loxolomia serpentina on the wing each year from January to February and in June. Larry Valentine reports October and January flights in Itanhandu, south eastern Minas Gerais, Brazil. Enio Branco reports a November flight in Tapirai, Sao Paulo. Gomes Wel reports an April flight in Rio de Janeiro. More likely there are three or four flights each year.

Loxolomia serpentina, Teresopolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
April 14, 2016, courtesy of Gomes Wel, id by Bill Oehlke.

Loxolomia serpentina male, Tapirai, Sao Paulo, Brazil,
November 14, 2014, courtesy of Enio Branco.

Moths prefer a light rain and are on the wing from 12:30-3:30 am.

Loxolomia serpentina moth, S. Bento Do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
courtesy of Damiel Rojas Lanus.

Loxolomia serpentina, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
January 9, 2013, courtesy of Larry Valentine, digital repair by Bill Oehlke.

Loxolomia serpentina (verso), Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
January 9, 2013, courtesy of Larry Valentine, digital repair by Bill Oehlke.

Loxolomia serpentina male, Brazil,
courtesy of Eric van schayck.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Arsenurini males use their antennae to seek out females which scent at night.

Loxolomia serpentina female, courtesy of Carlos Mielke
Rio Natal, 500 m, Sao Bento do Sul, SC, Brazil. copyright.

Loxolomia serpentina female, Brazil,
courtesy of Eric van schayck.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Larvae descend tree trunks at maturity to pupate in subterranean chambers.

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.

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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 "Loxolomia", but it is probably from the Greek 'Loxo' for 'slanting' or from Loxo, who in Greek mythology, is one of the fair-haired daughters of Boreas. There is a likely combination with 'Lamia' who in Greek Mythology, is a monster represented as a serpent with the head and breasts of a woman that ate children and sucked the blood from men.

The species name 'serpentina' means snake like and may refer to the undulating outer margins of the wings. Pronunciation could just as well be ser-pen-TEE-nuh.