DISTRIBUTION:

Molippa nibasa (wingspan: males: 60-78mm; females: 73-94mm) flies in
Mexico: Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Hidalgo, Mexico, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Quintana;
Belize: Cayo;
Guatemala: Alta Verapaz, Zacapa;
Honduras: Cortés, Francisco Morazán, Intibuca, Yoro, Santa Barbara, Lempira, Olancho;
El Salvador: San Salvador;
Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Alajuela, Puntarenas, Heredia, Cartago, Limon;
Nicaragua: Jinotega, Chinandega, Granada;
Panama: Chiriqui;
Venezuela: Miranda, Aragua, Yaracuy, Barinas, Merida; and
Colombia: Valle; and
Ecuador: Pichincha and Loja; and even into
French Guiana: .

Usually specimens from western Columbia and western Ecuador are also regarded as M. nibasa.

Molippa nibasa male, courtesy of Viktor Suter.

Dan Janzen indicates (2012) this is a dry forest species in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

HABITAT:

This species flies at elevations bewteen 300m and 1700m in Central America. It is possible that the specimens obtained in western Ecuador at 1900m - 2160m are a different species. I suspect they are Molippa flavopiurica in Loja.

Visit Mexico: Molippa Chart.

Molippa nibasa, Alejuela, Costa Rica, September 3, 2012,
courtesy of Gylma Barnes, Gilma Jeannette, Ospino Ferreira-Norman

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

In Mexico, specimens have been taken in January-February and May-September, suggesting at least three broods.

Larvae have been reared on (Salix caprea) and Black locust/False acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia.)

Molippa nibasa female, courtesy of Viktor Suter.

Molippa nibasa female, Mexico,
courtesy of Esperanza Insects.

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:

Lemaire reports that the heads of M. nibasa larvae should be red as depicted in in Bernhard Jost image and in Leroy Simon image (very bottom). M. nibasa should also have red legs, a red paranal shield (as per image by Leroy Simon) and red lateroventral spots (as per image by Dan Janzen). A black head is supposed to indicate Molippa simillima. Possibly those depicted with black heads are really M. simillima.

Photo courtesy of Bernhard Jost.

Molippa nibasa, Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Molippa nibasa, sixth instar, Mexico, courtesy of Viktor Suter.

Photo courtesy of Leroy Simon. Molippa nibasa fifth instar, Ecuador, by Leroy Simon. 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. Robinia pseudoacacia....... Salix caprea Black locust/False acacia Goat willow Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page. Return to Molippa Genus Return to South American Saturniidae Directory Return to Mexico and Central American Saturniidae Directory Return to Main WLSS Index Support this website and visit other insect sites by clicking flashing butterfly links to left or right.