Pseudodirphia eumedide
Updated as per Heppner's Checklist: Part 4B 1996, December 16, 2005
Updated as per Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002, October 3, 2006
Updated as per French Guiana Systematique, February 2008
Updated as per personal communication with Steve Nanz (P. eumedide, St. George, Trinidad, March 24 2014); April 2, 2015

Pseudodirphia eumedide
soo-doh-DIRF-ee-uhMyou-meh-DYE-dee
(Stoll, 1782) Phalaena Bombyx

Pseudodirphia eumedide, courtesy of Franz Ziereiscopyright.

Pseudodirphia eumedide male, ASA Wright Nature Centre, Arima, St. George, Trinidad,
March 24, 2015, courtesy of Steve Nanz.

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: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Tribe: Hemileucini, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Genus: Pseudodirphia, Bouvier, 1928

DISTRIBUTION:

Pseudodirphia eumedide (wingspan: males: 61-77-84(AC)mm; females: 82-99mm) flies in
Surinam;
French Guiana: Roura, Kaw, Piste de Coralie (AC), Riviere Orapu, Belizon, Cayene, Nancibo, Coralie, Kourou, Arataya, Saul, Regina, Barrage Petit Saut;
Venezuela: Bolivar, Territorio Federal Amazonas, Yaracuy; Trinidad: St. George: Arina; and
Colombia: Caqueta, Cundinamarco, Choco; and probably Guyana in tropical rain forests and low to medium elevation Andean forests (150 - 1800 m). This species may also be in eastern Ecuador: Orellana (LTR).

Pseudodirphia eumedide male, 64mm, Ecuador, courtesy of Kelly Price, id by Bill Oehlke, likely something else.

P. eumedide and P. eumedidoides are very similar, but I have identified the Kelly Price specimen as P. eumedide because of the strongly contrasting colours on the forewings, the continuous and relatively wide white pm line, bordered on both sides by black, the prominent black dot along the inner margin, just below the outward extension of the am line.

Pseudodirphia eumedide male, Piste de Coralie, French Guiana,
84mm, November 2010, courtesy of Alex Cahurel.

Pseudodirphia eumedide male, ASA Wright Nature Centre, Arima, St. George, Trinidad,
March 24, 2015, courtesy of Steve Nanz.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This moth probably broods continuously in three to four month cycles.

In French Guiana specimens have been taken in January-February-March, April-May, July-August and November-December. Larvae feed upon Crataegus oxycantha, Fagus sylvatica, Laburnum anagyroides, Quercus ilex, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Ulmus campestris. Salix caprea has also been utilized successfully.

Pseudodirphia eumedide female, February 23, 1992, Piste Matiti, French Guiana,
wingspan 99mm, image courtesy of Robert Levesque, via Antoine Guyinnet.

Pseudodirphia eumedide male, ASA Wright Nature Centre, Arima, St. George, Trinidad,
March 24, 2015, courtesy of Steve Nanz.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use highly developed antennae to locate females at night by tracking their airbourne pheromone plume.

At rest, moths fold wings over the body in typical Hemileucinae style.

Pseudodirphia eumedide male, ASA Wright Nature Centre, Arima, St. George, Trinidad,
March 24, 2015, courtesy of Steve Nanz.

Pseudodirphia eumedide male, ASA Wright Nature Centre, Arima, St. George, Trinidad,
March 24, 2015, courtesy of Steve Nanz.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters or rings. Larvae are gregarious and are well equipped with urticating spines. A light, single-walled cocoon is spun among leaf litter.

Psudodirphia eumedide 5l, Kaw, French Guiana,
on my home computer only, Claude Lemaire.

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.

Crataegus oxycantha
Fagus sylvatica
Laburnum anagyroides.......
Quercus ilex
Robinia pseudoacacia
Salix caprea
Ulmus campestris

English hawthorn
European beech
Golden-chain
Holly/Holm oak
Black locust/False acacia
Goat Willow
English elm

Return to Pseudodirphia Index

Return to Main Saturniidae Index

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.

Pseudodirphia was chosen as the genus name as these moths are very similar to those in the Dirphia genus.

I do not know the origin of the species name, eumedide. Possibly it refers to the Furies in Mythology.

The following images may or may not appear on your monitor, depending upon whether or not I get permission from respective photographers/owners to display them. I do have permission for my own private use.

Pseudodirphia eumedide male, Belizon, French Guiana,
February 2001, Daniel Prin, French Guiana Systematique.

Pseudodirphia eumedide male, Regina, French Guiana,
December 10, 1999, Andre Cloud, French Guiana Systematique.

Pseudodirphia eumedide male, Barrage Petit Saut, French Guiana,
April 20, 2006, Rene Lehousse, French Guiana Systematique.