Ptiloscola surrotunda
Updated as per Lemaire's Ceratocampinae 1988, October 3, 2006
Updated as per personal communication with Ryan Saint Laurent (Smithsonian Type image); January 17, 2014

Ptiloscola surrotunda
til-oh-SKOH-luhMsur-roh-TUN-duh
(Dyar, 1925) (Adelocephala)

Ptiloscola surrotunda male (Type),
The Smithsonian Insect Collection (USNM) courtesy of Ryan St. Laurent

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Ceratocampinae Harris, 1841
was Citheroniinae Neumoegen & Dyar, 1894
Genus: Ptiloscola, Michener, 1949
Speces: surrotunda, Dyar, 1925

MIDI MUSIC

"WhatAWonderfulWorld"
copyright C. Odenkirk
MIDI CITY
ON.OFF
<bgsound src="world.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Ptiloscola surrotunda (wingspan: males: 44-50mm; females: 64mm) flies in
western Mexico: Jalisco; Colima; Oaxaca; Puebla.

The forewing postmedian line is very preapical, the ground colour is dark brown, and the thoracic yellow band is missing between the tegula.

Ptiloscola surrotunda male (Mexico) courtesy of Dr. Manuel A. Balcazar Lara

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Ptiloscola surrotunda flies in August-September. Larval hosts are unknown.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Adult Ptiloscola surrotunda moths emerge from subterranean pupae, and males are slightly smaller than females.

Mating probably begins shortly after dusk with a calling period from 10:30 pm. to 1:00 am.

A light rainfall or mist seems to stimulate additional flight or eclosions resulting in more moths on the wing, or at least taken at lights, but overall this species is infrequent at lights and very erratic in flight when approaching.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Night-flying females lay translucent eggs on host plant leaves.

Larvae are well adorned with scoli and pupate underground in small chambers or among surface litter.

Care of larvae and pupae should be as for any Neotropical species.

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.

Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page.

Return to Ptiloscola Genus

Return to South American Saturniidae Directory

Return to North and Central American Saturniidae Directory

Return to Main WLSS 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 genus name "Ptiloscola" comes from, 'Ptilo, meaning wing and 'scola', probably meaning twisted or crooked, perhaps refering to the irregular shape of the pm line.

The species name "surrotunda" means 'rounded above' and probably refers to the rounded outer margin of the forewing.