Flavotegana and flavodiosiana have thinner, more diffusely and darker outlined hindwing ocelli.

DISTRIBUTION:

Molippa flavopiurica (wingspan: males: 60-70mm; females: 81-88mm // forewing length: males: 31-36mm; females: 43-45mm) flies in
northwestern Peru: Piura, at elevations from 875-2500m.

Molippa flavopiurica is on average a smaller species compared to simillima and other very similar taxa. It is relatively common in northwestern Peru. It has a ground colour that is relatively pale yellow with a hint of pink, causing the dark markings to stand out in more contrast. The forewing apex is scarcely produced, less so than in flavodiosiana or flavotegana. The hindwing cell mark is more rounded and clear, only lightly outlined in black, as in simillima.

Visit Peru: Molippa Chart.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in February-March-April and November-December, suggesting at least two annual broods. Molippa flavopiurica larval hosts are unknown.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

Molippa flavopiurica AT female, 81mm, Huancabamba, Piura, Peru,
on my home computer only.

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.

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 or reason for the genus name "Molippa" chosen by Walker in 1855.

The species name "flavopiurica" is indicative of a yellowish tint to the ground colour, with the latter part of the name suggesting a specimen type location, in Piura, Peru?

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