Molippa intermediata
Updated as per Witt Museum Type Specimens, January 2012
Updated as per Entomo Satsphingia Jahrgang 4 Heft 4 21.10.2011; March 31, 2012
Updated as per personal communication with Vladimir Izersky (Rio Venado, Junin, Peru, January 3, 2009, 1050m), February 12, 2009; March 31, 2012

Molippa intermediata
moh-LIP-puhMin-ter-MEED-dee-ah-tuh
Brechlin & Meister 2011

Molippa intermediata male, Peru, courtesy of Eric van Schayck,
id revised from latemedia to M. intermediata by Bill Oehlke.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Tribe: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Genus: Molippa, Walker, 1855

MIDI MUSIC

"Someone to Watch
Over Me"
copyright C. Odenkirk
MIDI CITY
ON.OFF
<bgsound src="watch.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Molippa intermediata (wingspan: males: 52-58mm; females: 68-74mm // forewing length: males: 27-30mm; females: 35-38mm) flies in
eastern Peru: Pasco (HT); Ucayali; Madre de Dios; Loreto; San Martin; Junin; at elevations from 400-2130m.

Based on DNA barcoding analysis, Brechlin and Meister, 2011, have described this species as very similar in size and patterning to M. latemedia, which I believe flies in Colombia and eastern Ecuador, and M. boliviana which flies in Bolivia and had previously been synonymized with M. latemedia.

M. intermediata is a darker grey-brown colour with a very large, dark cell mark, a dark, solid, lower half of the basal area, and an overall very contrasting appearance.

Visit Peru: Molippa Chart.

Molippa intermediata male, Peru, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.,
id revised from latemedia to M. intermediata by Bill Oehlke.

Molippa intermediata male, courtesy of Kirby Wolfe,
id revised from latemedia to M. intermediata by Bill Oehlke.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in February-March, July-August-September-October-November-December, suggesting that this species broods continuously. Molippa intermediata larval hosts are unknown.

Molippa latemedia male by Viktor Suter.

Visit Molippa intermediata, Rio Venado, Junin, Peru, January 3, 2009, 1050m, courtesy of Vladimir Izersky.

Visit Molippa intermediata, Shima (near Satipo), Junin, Peru, 700m, courtesy of Peter Bruce-Jones.

Kirby Wolfe reports rearing success with Acacia baileyana.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

Molippa latemedia female, Peru, courtesy of Eric van Schayck. ,
id revised from latemedia to M. intermediata by Bill Oehlke.

Molippa intermediata female by Viktor Suter,
id revised from latemedia to M. intermediata by Bill Oehlke.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

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

Sixth instar larva, courtesy of Kirby Wolfe,
id revised from latemedia to M. intermediata by Bill Oehlke.

Final instar larva, courtesy of Viktor Suter,
id revised from latemedia to M. intermediata by Bill Oehlke.

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 "intermediata" might be indicative of a range location, intermediate between two other (latemedia and boliviana) species, or a physical characteristic, intermediate between two other species? I think the former.

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