DISTRIBUTION:

The Periga circumstans moth (wingspan: males: 42-64mm; females: 64-76mm); (forewing length: male: 25-33mm; females 33-42mm) flies in
southeastern Brazil: Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Parana, Santa Catarina; and
Paraguay: (Guaira, Paraguari CL), and in (Presidente Hayes, Concepcion, Cordillera, Canindeyu, Caaguazu, Alto Parana), and (probably San Pedro, Caazapa and Itapua PS).

I suspect it also flies in Misiones Province and possibly in northern Corrientes Province in northeastern Argentina.

Ground colour of this small species is very variable, ranging from yellow to bright orange, red, orange-beige, brownish-greyro rusty-brown, almost always with a generous sprinking of dark scales. Facing sides of am and pm line are often bordered with yellow.

Thus far specimens have been recorded at elevations from 300m to 1500m.

With all the new species described in 2013, it is possible that Periga circumstans is limited to the states of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo and probably southeastern Minas Gerais in Brazil, beng replaced by similar species in nearby states and countries. Bill Oehlke, 2013

Periga circpotensis ?? (maybe circumstans) male, Carangola, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
April 4, 2016, 399m, courtesy of Naldo Camara, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

This species belongs to the Periga circumstans Subgroup which consists of the following species:

Periga circumstans Brazil: Rio de Janeiro; Sao Paulo Periga circaustralis Brazil: Santa Catarina; Rio Grande do Sul; Parana; Paraguay: Alto Parana Periga circleopoldina Brazil: Espirito Santo: Santa Leopoldina Periga circpotensis Brazil: Minas Gerais: Pote Periga wandana Argentina: Wanda; 200m Periga foersteri Brazil: Santa Catarina: Sao Bento do Sul; Parana; 870m Periga fusca Argentina: Misiones: Dos de Mayo; 500m Periga fuscbahiana Brazil: Bahia Periga fuscleopoldina Brazil: Espirito Santo Periga drechseli Paraguay: Caazapa; Caaguazu; Paraguari; 100-210m P. drechseli altoparanensis Paragauy: Alto Parana: Estancia Dimas; Presidente Hayes; 150-230m Periga caraca Brazil Periga acuta Brazil Periga alticola Periga pulchra

Periga circumstans male, Paraguay, courtesy of pybio.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing from January to April and the again from August until December.

Larvae feed on Coffea in the Rubiaceae family. They hava also been found cohabitating with Lonomia species on loquats (Eriobotrya japonica) and avocadoes (Persea americana).

Periga circumstans male (possibly P. alticola, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
February 22, 2011, 925m, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Periga circumstans male (possibly P. alticola (verso), Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
February 22, 2011, 925m, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

The very yellow antennae, hindwing am line and connection of cell spots suggest Periga circumstans (possibly P. alticola, over Lonomia obliqua.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

Periga circumstans female, Brazil, courtesy of Carlos Mielke.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage.

Periga circumstans larvae are highly gregarious and have the urticating spines typical of larvae from the Subfamily Hemileucinae.

Periga circumstans eggs, Paraguay, courtesy of pybio.

Periga circumstans first instars, Paraguay, courtesy of pybio.

Periga circumstans second instars, Paraguay, courtesy of pybio.

Periga circumstans third instars, Paraguay, courtesy of pybio.

Periga circumstans fourth instars, Paraguay, courtesy of pybio.

Periga circumstans fifth instars, Paraguay, courtesy of pybio.

Periga circumstans sixth instars, Paraguay, courtesy of pybio.

Periga circumstans prepupal mass, Paraguay, courtesy of pybio.

Periga circumstans pupae, Paraguay, courtesy of pybio.

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.

Coffea......

Coffee

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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 "Periga" chosen by Walker in 1855.

The reason for the species name "circumstans" is unknown to me.

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