Periphoba arcaei
per-ih-FOH-buhMARS-see-eye
(Druce, 1886) Phricodia arcaei

Periphoba arcaei male, Guerrero, Mexico, courtesy of Kirby Wolfe.

Periphoba arcaei male, on Prunus serotina,
Oaxaca, Mexico, courtesy of Jurgen Vanhoudt

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Hemileucinae, [1837] 1834 Genus: Periphoba, Hubner, 1820 Species: arcaei, Druce, 1886

DISTRIBUTION:

Periphoba arcaei (wingspan: males: 66-92-95mm (NS); females: 94-126mm) flies from
Mexico: Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi, Veracruz, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Yucatan to Panama. It is found in habitats with elevations between 50m and 1150m.

Jean Michel Maes confirms it in
Nicaragua: Esteli, Jinotega, Chinandega, Managua, Masaya, Carazo, Granada, Zelaya; and it is also found in
Belize: Stann Creek, Corozal, Cayo, Toledo;
Guatemala: Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Zacapa, (Izabal (JM)), probably Peten;
Honduras: Cortes, Atlantida, Olancho, Francisco Morazan; Utila Island (AM)
El Salvador: Ahuachapan;
Costa Rica: Guanacaste, Heredia, Puntarenas (CL), Alajuela, Cartago, Limon, San Jose (IB);
Panama: Chiriqui.

Based on my transalation of German, I think P. arcaei is replaced in South America by similar species, so one should be cautious of the following reports:
Colombia: Antioquia, Huila; and
Venezuela: Aragua.

Periphoba arcaei (male) courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Periphoba arcaei male, Chipinque, near Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico,
Jose Ignacio Granados Peon, via Alida Madero, via Mike Quinn, June 21, 2007,
id by Kirby Wolfe.

Periphoba arcaei Quintana Roo, Mexico, courtesy of Charles Bordeline.

Dan Janzen indicates (2012) that possibly two cryptic species, one from dry forest and one from rain forest habitat, fly in Costa Rica.

Visit Identification Aides: Periphoba chart; Mexico and Central America.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This species broods continuously and moths can be taken in every month in Costa Rica.

Robert Lehman reports this species on the wing in February, April, June, November in La Ceiba and Olanch, Honduras.

Visit Periphoba arcaei series, males and female, Honduras, courtesy of Robert Lehman.

Periphoba arcaei larvae feed on Eugenia salamensis, Cassia species, and Annona purpurea as well as several other hosts. Jurgen Vanhoudt has reared stock from Oaxaca, Mexico, on Prunus serotina.

Periphoba arcaei male, 93mm, Guatemala,
on my home computer only.

Periphoba arcaei male (more likley P. rosacea), Las Cuevas, Cayo, Belize,
95mm, courtesy of Art Gilbert and Norm Smith.

Periphoba arcaei female, Las Cuevas, Cayo, Belize,
121mm, courtesy of Art Gilbert and Norm Smith.

Periphoba arcaei female, Barro Colorado Island, Panama,
August 4, 2010, courtesy of Zach Welly,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Periphoba arcaei female, 116mm, Guanacaste, Costa Rica,
courtesy of Dan Janzen

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen and release an airbourne pheromone. Males fly into the wind and pick up the scent plume with their more highly developed antennae. When disturbed, these moths curl their abdomens, revealing a wasp like pattern of alternating dark and light stripes.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters on host foliage. The spheroid, pale-white eggs have a discernable micropyle on the dorsal surface. The micropyle darkens considerably after a few days if the eggs are fertile.

Periphoba arcaei larvae have the urticating spines typical of larvae from the Subfamily Hemileucinae. Larvae are highly gregarious, particulary in the early instars.

Mature larvae have much more extensive spines in the head and anterior thorax regions than they do further down the body. Egg and larval images are courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Periphoba arcaei, third instar, courtesy of Anthony Darby.

Periphoba arcaei, fourth instar, courtesy of Anthony Darby.

Larvae are feeding on Euclyptus gunnii.

Periphoba arcaei sixth instar larva, Geurrero, Mexico, courtesy of Kirby Wolfe.

Kirby Wolfe reports success with Periphoba species by using Rhus (sumac) as a larval host.

YTM indicates the following larva from Chuburna Puerto, Yucatan, Mexico, was observed July 9, 2013, 9:38 am, Chuburna Puerto, Yucatan, Mexico, travelling with a great number of similar larvae, crossing an asphalt road near the Chuburna Marina. "They all were traveling north to south, coming from a sandy beach area and headed into a swamp/marshy area. Who are these guys?"

Periphoba arcaei fifth instar, Chuburna, Yucatan, Mexico,
July 9, 2013, courtesy of YTM, via What's That Bug (Daniel Marlos),
id by Bill Oehlke.

Periphoba arcaei fifth instar, Chuburna, Yucatan, Mexico,
July 9, 2013, courtesy of YTM, via What's That Bug (Daniel Marlos),
id by Bill Oehlke.

Larval Food Plants

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Annona pupurea Ardisia revoluta Astronium graveolens Bombacopsis quinatum Cassia alata Cassia biflora Calycophyllum candidissimum.... Eugenia salamensis Guazuma ulnifolia Hymenaea courbaril Inga vera Lysiloma auritum Miconia argentia Prunus serotina (JVh) Quercus oleoides Rhus Rourea glabra Spondias mombin

Black bead Ardisia Kulimche Bombacopsis Ringworm cassia Cassia Degame Stopper/Waterboom Guacima/Bay Cedar West Indian locust Inga vera Quiebracha Ceniza Wild Black Cherry Oak Sumac Rourea Yellow mombin

Return to Periphoba Index

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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 "Periphoba" chosen by Hubner in 1820.

The species name "arcaei" is honourific for Arce.

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