DISTRIBUTION:

Procitheronia principalis (wingspan: males: 92-119mm; females: 102-140mm) flies in
Brazil, the specimen type locale, and Lemaire lists it as a species endemic to southeastern Brazil: Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia (PN), Visconde de Maua (RN); Sao Paulo: Votorantim (EB), Jarinu (SL), Aguas da Prata (RG); Parana: Guaratuba (CM), Santa Catarina. It can now be added to Minas Gerais: Itanhandu (LV), based on larva find in Itanhandu, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Note orange body colour and orangey brown ground colour, and the absence of white surrounding the hindwing ocellus.

Procitheronia principalis, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
September 9, 2008, courtesy of Larry Valentine,
id by Carlos Mielke, Kirby Wolfe, Luigi Racheli, Thibaud Decaens, Bernhard Wenczel.

It is interesting that this genus is comprised of moths having the wing shape of Eacles but wing colouration of Citheronia.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There are probably two generations annually with Procitheronia principalis moths on the wing in January-February and then again in September-October. I would not be surprised if there is an additional flight between the documented months.

Visit Procitheronia principalis, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil, January 6, 2010, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Visit Procitheronia principalis, male, recto and verso, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil, January 26, 2010, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Procitheronia principalis larvae feed on Croton floribundus.

Procitheronia principalis, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
September 9, 2008, courtesy of Larry Valentine,
id by Carlos Mielke, Kirby Wolfe, Luigi Racheli, Thibaud Decaens, Bernhard Wenczel.

Procitheronia principalis (verso), Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
September 9, 2008, courtesy of Larry Valentine,
id by Carlos Mielke, Kirby Wolfe, Luigi Racheli, Thibaud Decaens, Bernhard Wenczel.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the posterior tip of the abdomen after dark.

The slightly smaller, more brigthly coloured males use their more highly developed antennae to locate the calling females, usually between midnight and 3:00 am.

Males of this subfamily have antennae which are quadripectinate for the basal two-thirds of their length.

Procitheronia principalis female, 130mm, Guaratuba, Parana, Brazil, courtesy of Carlos Mielke.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Eggs are large and yellow. Just before emergence, the tiny caterpillar becomes visible through the transparent eggshell.

Pupation is underground in a small cell.

On January 19, 2013, Larry Valentine's wife found a hatchling larva on the same host that served as fodder for P. principalis. Larry was fortunate to get it to final instar before it succumbed, but sufficient to confirm it as principalis.

Visit Procitheronia principalis hatchling and all instars, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Procitheronia principalis larva, Serra da Mantiqueira, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
April 3, 2008, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Procitheronia principalis larva, Serra da Mantiqueira, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
April 3, 2008, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Procitheronia principalis, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Procitheronia principalis, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
November 21, 2008, courtesy of Larry Valentine,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke, possibly 3rd-4rth instar.

Visit additional Procitheronia principalis images (adults and larvae) from southeastern Brazil.

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.

Croton floribundus .......

Capixingui

Return to Citheronia Index or Procitheronia 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.

The source of the genus name Procitheronia is for the likeness to Citheronia species. "Citheronia" is probably derived from Mount Citheron (Greek mythology), an untamed wilderness, exempt from the laws of civilization. The goddesses go naked there and are free from any of the pressures of society.

The species name "principalis" (master/dominant) is consistent with Walker's choice of civic or military titles for some of the Ceratocampinae he named.

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