DISTRIBUTION:

Ormiscodes schmidtnielseni (wingspan: males: 47-58mm; females: 59-68mm) (females larger than males) flies in
Argentina: Nequen: San Martin de los Andes and Pucara; and in
Chile: Nuble, Malleco and Llanquihue, at elevations around 640m.

Note very large antennae, orangey-beige dorsal surface of abdomen, elongated forewings, and irregular yellow band just outside the brown postmedian line.

The cell mark is also yellow, surrounded in black, and the antemedian line is inwardly traced with yellow with a black inner half of the basal area. There is a prominent, short, oblique, apical white dash on the forewing.

The hindwing has reddish hairs in the basal area, a wide, diffuse pm band and a black and white checkered fringe, with smaller black sections at termination of wing veins.

Ormiscodes schmidtnielseni male, 58mm, Chile,
on my home computer only, listed on BOLD as nigrosignata

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Ormiscodes schmidtnielseni is possibly double brooded throughout most, if not all, of its range. Adults are on the wing in March and in May to June with larvae evident between March and October.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen, and the night-flying males pick up and track the airbourne pheromone plume with their well-developed antennae.

Adults rest during the day on the foliage or trunks of pines or other hosts, flying only at night. Both males and females respond to light.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Early instar larvae typically feed gregariously. Late instar larvae become more widely dispersed on host trees and understory vegetation.

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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