DISTRIBUTION:

The Molippa luzalessarum moth (wingspan: males: 75mm; females: 78mm) flies near Oxapampa (central Peru). Thus far it has only been found at high altitude (2512m) on a single mountain. It is much darker than Molippa bertrandi and flies at significantly higher elevation.

Visit Peru: Molippa Chart.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken from May until August.

Larval hosts remain unknown.

Molippa luzalessarum female, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of their abdomens to "call" the males. Males use their antennae to hone in on the airbourne pheromone.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are probably deposited in clusters and larvae feed gregariously. Typical of Hemileucini species, larvae have urticating spines.

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 "Molippa" chosen by Walker in 1855.

The species name 'luzallessarum', is named for relatives of Jose Boettger. "Jose refers to his mother as 'Luz', and his daughter's name is 'Alessandra'." Bernhard Wenczel