DISTRIBUTION:

Meroleucoides sangayana (wingspan: males: 48mm; females: 58-60mm // forewing length: males: 22-26mm; females: 30mm) flies in
Ecuador: Morona Santiago: Sangay National Park; at elevations around 2650-2940m.

This species is quite similar to other species also from Morona Santiago:
M. sangayana is smaller and has forewings with brighter yellow with brown highlights when compared to the browner Meroleucoides bipunctata, and M. sangayana tends to fly at higher elevations and has yellow cell markings compared to the white marking of bipunctata.

The hindwings of sangayana are greyer than those of the overall browner bipunctata.

Meroleucoides zunacensis is the largest and darkest (grey-brown) of the three species, and seems to lack the diffuse median bands found on all wings of the other two species. The forewing cell mark is orangey-yellow and quite prominent.

Visit Ecuadorian Meroleucoides Comparison Table.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in March, April, May. There are possibly additional flight months, but because of high elevation, this might be a univoltine species. Larval hosts are unknown.

Meroleucoides sangayana AT female, Sangay National Park, Morona Santiago, Ecuador,
58mm, April 13, 2010, 2650m, on my home computer only.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen, and the night-flying males pick up and track the airbourne pheromone plume with their well-developed antennae.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage.

Meroleucoides sangayana larvae are probably highly gregarious and probably have the urticating spines typical of larvae from the Subfamily Hemileucinae.

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.

This species name, sangayana, is indicative of a specimen type locale in Sangay National Park, Morona Santiago, Ecuador.

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