DISTRIBUTION:

Leucanella viridescens viridescens (wingspan: males: 70-82mm; females: 83-98mm) flies in southern Brazil: Goias, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Parana, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul; and in
extreme northeastern Argentina: Misiones in tropical forests at elevations of 300-900m.

Venation is indistinct on the postmedian area of the male forewing, but quite distinct on the female. Note obtuse angle of female forewing apex and convex outer margin.

The hindwing ground colour is a light pinkish or orangey-brown.

Leucanella viridescens courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel, id by Carlos Mielke.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in January-June and August-December, suggesting this species broods continuously.

Leucanella viridescens larvae eat Acer, Erythrina crista-galli, Ligustrum and Platanus. Bernhard Wenczel reports some rearing success on Rubus and Salix, but not on Ligustrum.

Leucanella viridescens female, Osununu Private Reserve, Misiones, Argentina,
October 17, 2009, courtesy of Ezequiel Bustos, id by Bill Oehlke

Leucanella viridescens viridescens female, Brazil,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Leucanella viridescens viridescens female, Argentina,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Leucanella viridescens viridescens female, Argentina,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

Here is a male aberration with dark lower wings.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Large, white, oval eggs are laid in clusters and black larvae, which have urticating yellow and white spines, feed gregariously.

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

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.

Acer Erythrina crista-galli............ Ligustrum Ligustrum japonicum Platanus Rubus Salix

Maple Cockspur coral tree Privet Japanese privet/Wax leaf privet Plane/Sycamore Bramble 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 "viridescens" is probably for the variable ground colour which is sometimes olive-grey in the males.

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