Pseudodirphia weritzi
soo-doh-DIRF-ee-uhmmWER-itz-eye
Brechlin & Meister, 2008

Pseudodirphia weritzi male, Cutervo, Cajamarca, Peru, courtesy of Ron Brechlin and Frank Meister,
original description and additional information in German in ENTOMO-SATSPHINGIA I.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866 Tribe: Hemileucini, Grote & Robinson, 1866 Genus: Pseudodirphia, Bouvier, 1928

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DISTRIBUTION:

Pseudodirphia weritzi (forewing length: males: 33-35mm; females: 41-43mm) flies in
Peru: Cajamarca: Cutervo at elevations of 2100m.

The black am line is almost straight, turning at the lowest wing vein toward the inner margin. The basal area below the line is a light beige. The black pm line is strongly accentuated inwardly with off-white-beige. Orange wing veins clearly cut through the light and dark portions of the pm line and the dark subterminal area.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Pseudodirphia weritzi flies in February and possibly in other months.

Larval hosts are unknown.

Pseudodirphia weritzi female, Cutervo, Cajamarca, Peru, courtesy of Ron Brechlin and Frank Meister,
original description and additional information in German in ENTOMO-SATSPHINGIA I.

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. The female is unknown.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are probably 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.

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.

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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.

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

The species name, weritzi, is honourific for Herrn Ulrich Weritz.

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