DISTRIBUTION:

Rothschildia aurota (wingspan 190 mm) is another large Rothschildia that is pretty much an Amazon species occurring at lower elevations (200-800-950 (VI)- 1500m (JJ)- 2000m (NV) meters above sea level). It is only found on the Eastern slopes of the Andes:
Colombia: Magdalena: Santa Marta (JJ, 1500m); Meta;
Ecuador: probably Sucumbios, Orellana and Morona Santiago; and in
eastern Peru: Amazonas (LTR), Junin (VI), (probably Loreto, Ucayali, Huanuco, Pasco (WO?)); and across to
Venezuela: Tachira and central regions,
Guyana,
Suriname and
French Guiana: Kaw, and then down to
Bolivia and
S.E. Brazil: south to Goias, probably Amapa, Amazonas, Rondonia, Roraima, Mato Grosso, maybe Minas Gerais.

Ezequiel Osvaldo Núñez Bustos sent me a paper in August 2015 which includes Rothschildia a. aurota in northwestern Argentina.

Perhaps it also flies in western Argentina, based on the following images submitted by Nigel Venters.

Rothschildia aurota andensis male, Tafe de Valle, Tucuman, Argentina,
149mm, November 18, 2009, 2000m, courtesy of Nigel Venters,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

It is also possible that the specimens from Argentina are nominate aurota or an undescribed aurota subspecies. Ezequiel Ozvaldo Nunes Bustos published a paper listing aurota in Argentina, but I do not know if he identified it to subspecific level.

Prior to 2013, this moth had been synonymized with nominate R. aurota aurota. Brechlin & Meister, 2013, have removed it from synonymity, giving it its own subspecies status as Rothschildia aurota andensis.

I favour andensis as the subspecies name for the specimens from Argentina over nominate aurota, but the Argentine specimens from western provinces could be an undescribed subspecies. I do not think they are a speculifer subspecies, as I think speculifer is limited to eastern Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.

Rothschildia aurota ssp male, Tucuman, Argentina,
courtesy of Colin Baker, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Rothschildia aurota aurota male, French Guiana,
courtesy of G. Lecourt via Thibaud Decaens

With all the new names that have been put forward by Brechlin & Meister, it is possible that nominate R. aurota aurota (male forewing length: 79-81mm) is limited to Suriname, French Guiana, Guyana and Venezuela. Very similar related species are as follows:

aurota aurota: Suriname, French Guiana, Guyana and Venezuela
aurota auromeridensis: Venezuela: Merida; Carabobo
aurota auroamazonensis: Peru: Amazonas; San Martin; Loreto; Ecuador: Napo; Sucumbios; Zamora Chinchipe
aurota andensis: central and southern Peru and Bolivia and possibly western Argentina

speculifer speculifer: Argentina: Misiones; Brazil: Bahia
speculifer rubra: Brazil: Bahia; Maranhao
speculifer siriae: Uruguay: Tacarembo

Rothschildia aurota aurota male, French Guiana,
March 31, 2011, courtesy of Andres Urbas.

Rothschildia aurota aurota?? male, Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia,
March 13, 2011, 1500m, courtesy of Joakim Johannson.

In the S.E.Brazil area and further south it starts turning into subspecies R. speculifer speculifer. The adults of aurota and speculifer subspecies tends to have more pink in the wing margin than most of the other orizaba-like species.

Rothschildia aurota female, copyright protected, courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

In Peru there are three generations annually with peak flights in February, June-July and again in October-November. Vladimir Izersky reports an April flight in Pampa Ermosa, Junin, Peru, at elevation of 950m. Andres Urbas reports a late March flight in French Guiana.

"Aurota is very easy to raise on privet and actually seemed to prefer it over some of the other plants I tried like ash and plum. I didn't get a chance to try cherry though. Privet worked so good that I didn't have to!" --Chris Conlan.

Rothschildia aurota female courtesy of Martin Jagelka.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extenda scent gland from the tip of the abdomen to "call" in the night-flying males.

Peak activity seems to be from 11:30 pm until 1:30 am for females; males are active from 1:00 until 3:30 am.

Rothschildia aurota aurota female, Suriname,
August 1, 2006, courtesy of Richard Stickney, id by Bill Oehlke.

Rothschildia aurota aurota female, French Guiana,
courtesy of G. Lecourt via Thibaud Decaens

Rothschildia aurota female, Peru, courtesy of Alan Marson.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

One note of caution with these is that the larvae have urticating spines. R. orizaba equitorialis has them too but they are very mild (you really gotta smack em to feel it).

Rothschildia aurota second instar courtesy of Robert Lemaitre.

Aurota will make you feel some pain though. The larvae for aurota and most of the orizaba subspecies are virtually impossible to tell apart (seen one you seen em all).

Visit Rothschildia aurota, fourth instar, courtesy of Rainer Plontke.

Photo of final instar courtesy of Jim Klinger.

Rothschildia aurota Peru, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

Rothschildia aurota fifth instar, courtesy of Michal Pikner.

First instar larvae are gregarious and banded with black rings. Larvae are feeding on variegated privet. First and second instar photos courtesy of Jim Klinger.

The larva to right is in its second instar and maintains much of the colouration of the first instar. The head is black as are the true legs.

Larvae and adults can be quite variable. See 2002 photography: Klinger, Jagelka, Schaller.

Rothschildia aurota cocoon, Peru, courtesy of Alan Marson.

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.

Ailanthus altissima..... Ligustrum Ricinus communis

Chinese tree of Heaven Privet Castor-oil bean

Return to Main Saturniidae Index

Return to Rothschildia Index

For additional images, go to Hubert Mayer image

For additional images, go to Kirby Wolfe images.

The pronunciation of scientific names is troublesome for many. The "suggestion" at the top of the page is merely a suggestion.

There are many collectors from different countries whose intonations and accents would be different.

"Rothschildia" is chosen to honour one of the Rothschilds, possibly William.

I do not know the reason for the species name, aurota.

Rothschildia aurota male, Kaw, French Guiana, Rene Lahousse,
February, on my home computer only, photo copyright Rene Lahousse.

Rothschildia aurota pair in flight, Peru,
courtesy of Andres Morya, id by Bill Oehlke