Oiticella convergens
Updated as per Lemaire's Ceratocampinae 1988, October 3, 2006
Updated as per personal communication with Larry Valentine (Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil, February 8, 2013); February 8, 2013
This page has been updated August 24, 2015, based on reference material for Argentina, sent to me by Ezequiel Bustos, as cited in a recent publication: NÚÑEZ: Catálogo preliminar de Saturniidae de Argentina TROP. LEPID. RES., 25(1): 22-33, 2015 31.
Updated as personal communication with Elidiomar Ribeiro Da Silva (Pirai, Rio de Janeiro, February 13, 2016); February 13, 2016
Updated as personal communication with Gomes Wel (Teresopolis, Rio de Janeiro, May 13, 2016); May 13, 2016
Updated as personal communication with Ulf Drechsel, PYBIO (Paraguay); April 4, 2018

Oiticella convergens
(Herrich-Schaeffer, 1855) (Adelocephala)

Oiticella convergens male, Paraguay, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Oiticella convergens male, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel, PYBIO.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke.
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Ceratocampinae, Harris, 1841
Genus: Oiticella, Travassos & Noronha, 1965
species: convergens, Herrich-Schaeffer, 1855

DISTRIBUTION:

Oiticella convergens (wingspan: males: 49-69mm; females: 74-82mm) flies in
Brazil: Bahia; Federal District; Goias; Mato Grosso; Minas Gerais: Itanhandu (LV); Espirito Santo; Rio de Janeiro: Teresopolis (GW); Sao Paulo; Santa Catarina; Parana from 300-1300m, and in
Venezuela: Bolivar.

Eric van Schayck reports it from
Paraguay: (department sightings courtesy of Ulf Drechsel): Paraguay: Concepcion, (probably San Pedro), Canindeyu, Cordillera, Caaguazu, Alto Parana, Paraguari, Guaira, , and (probably Itapua).

It has also been reported in Misiones, Argentina, courtesy of Ezequiel Nunez Bustos.

Oiticella convergens Itaoby Private Reserve, Misiones, Argentina,
November 2, 2015, courtesy of Ezequiel Nunez Bustos.

This species has a lighter, brighter ground colour with some sprinkling of black scales in the median area of forewing.

Oiticella convergens male, Serra do Mar, Brazil,
March 2008, courtesy of "Stuart Cole", tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Oiticella convergens, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
February 22, 2016, courtesy of Rodrigo Pereira, tentative id by Bill Oehlke

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There are possibly as many as three broods annually with Oiticella convergens moths on the wing in January-February, and posibly again in May-June-July, and then possibly again in November (November confirmed by Ezequiel Nunez Bustos). Gomes Wel confirms a May flight in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Larval hosts are unknown.

Visit Oiticella convergens male, Teresopolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 13, 2016, courtesy of Gomes Wel.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Female Oiticella convergens moths extend a scent gland from the posterior tip of the abdomen to call in the night flying males which become active around 11:00 pm.

Oiticella convergens female, Paraguay, courtesy/copyright UlfDrechsel.

Oiticella convergens female, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
February 8, 2013, courtesy of Larry Valentine, id by Bill Oehlke

Oiticella convergens female, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
February 8, 2013, courtesy of Larry Valentine, id by Bill Oehlke

Oiticella convergens female, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
February 8, 2013, courtesy of Larry Valentine, id by Bill Oehlke

Oiticella convergens female, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
February 8, 2013, courtesy of Larry Valentine, id by Bill Oehlke

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Larry Valentine reports a larva found on Jacaré, (Piptadenia gonoacantha). To my knowledge this is a first report of a foodplant for this species.

Eggs are dark green, slightly flattened spheres.

Oiticella convergens eggs, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel, PYBIO

Oiticella convergens fifth instar, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
February 8, 2013, courtesy of Larry Valentine, id by Bill Oehlke

Oiticella convergens pupa, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
January, 2013, courtesy of Larry Valentine, id 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.

Piptadenia gonoacantha (LV) .......

Jacaré

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Oiticella convergens female, Claude Lemaire, on my home computer only