DISTRIBUTION:

Pseudautomeris luteata (wingspan: males: 62 (TS) -63-78mm; females: 79-92mm) flies in
Paraguay: (Guaira and Paraguari CL), (Concepcion, San Pedro, Canindeyu, Cordillera, Caaguazu, Alto Parana, Caazapa UD), (Itapua PS) and (possibly Asuncion and Central;
Peru: Amazonas, San Martin, Huanuco, Apurimac, Cusco, Puno; in damp equatorial woods at elevations of 200-1900 m.

It is also recorded in
Brazil: Distrito Federal, Goias, Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Parana, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul;
Bolivia: La Paz, Chuquisaca; and
Argentina: Misiones, Salta, Corrientes (TS).

Pseudautomeris luteata (male), Brazil, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Pseudautomeris luteata (male), Paraguay, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Pseudautomeris luteata female, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
February 2, 2013, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Pseudautomeris luteata female (verso), Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
February 2, 2013, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

The almost straight antemedial line helps to distinguish this species. There are also dark scales in the interneural patches in the submarginal band near the outer margin. Lemaire shows both male "forms" as depicted on this page. Larry Valentine confirms that both orange and yellow males can originate from the same broodstock.

Gc: yellow-beige to orangey-brown to pinkish orange with strong presence of dark scales in interneural patches at outer edge of subterminal band and in marginal area. Cell marking also with darker scales, outlined with black dots. The am line is dark and distinct, with or without thin outer tracing of yellow. 200-1900m

Pseudautomeris luteata pair, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This moth has at least two broods annually with peak flights in May-June and again in September-October. Moths have also been taken December-February.

Larvae feed on Quercus (oak), Ligustrum (privet) and Prunus laurocerasus (English laurel).

Pseudautomeris luteata Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Pseudautomeris luteata Misiones, Argentina, courtesy of Reinhard Foerster.

Pseudautomeris luteata Santo Tome, Corrientes, Argentina,
62mm, October 2005, courtesy of Terence Stoddard.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen to call in the night-flying males. Most male activity occurs from 10:00 pm until shortly after midnight.

Pseudautomeris luteata female, Paraguay, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Pseudautomeris luteata female, Paraguay, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Lemaire indicates females can either have a pointed or rounded forewing apex, but I would not be surprised if the Eric van Schayck image of Paraguayan female with pointed apices proves to be a different species.

Pseudautomeris luteata female, Tapirai, Sao Paulo, Brazil,
June 6, 2013, courtesy of Enio Branco.

Pseudautomeris luteata female, Tapirai, Sao Paulo, Brazil,
June 6, 2013, courtesy of Enio Branco.

Pseudautomeris luteata female, Tapirai, Sao Paulo, Brazil,
June 6, 2013, courtesy of Enio Branco.

I am not sure if the images of females provided by Enio Branco are P. brasiliensis or P. luteata. The males are hard to distinguish and the females are even harder.

Pseudautomeris brasiliensis/luteata female, Mendes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
March 16, 2019, courtesy of Guilherme Furusawa, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Pseudautomeris luteata larvae are similar to Automeris larvae, being gregarious and having urticating spines.

Pseudautomeris luteata courtesy of Viktor Suter via Bernhard Wenczel.

Pseudautomeris luteata larvae courtesy of Paul Smith and Fauna Paraguay.

Visit Pseudautomeris luteata fifth instar, cocoon, emergent males (February 19-23, 2009), female (recto and verso, February 2, 2013), Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

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.

Ligustrum Prunus laurocerasus..... Quercus

Privet English laurel Quercus

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