The image directly above from Ceara shows much more red than other specimens on the erycina page. It may therefore be Rothschildia belus known more from southeastern Brazil. The two species are almost identical in appearance as adult moths, but there is perhaps more of a difference in larvae. It is also possible that the specimen from Ceara, Brazil, is an undescribed species or subspecies of either belus or erycina. I am also going to post it in the erycina page. (December 10, 2016)

Rothschildia belus, Vitoria de Conquista, Bahia, Brazil,
November, 2020, courtesy of Iuri Santos, id by Bill Oehlke.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Saturniinae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Tribe: Attacini, Blanchard, 1840 Genus: Rothschildia, Grote, 1896

DISTRIBUTION:

Rothschildia belus is known only from southeastern Brazil: Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Parana (CM), Sao Paulo, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.

The images from Ceara and Bahia, Brazil, suggest belus flies throughout eastern Brazil I believe it is also found in Minas Gerais, Brazil, based on the following images from Wolfgang Walz.

Rothschildia belus??, Pedro Leopoldina, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
December 10, 2016??, courtesy of Wolfgang Walz, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Rothschildia belus?? fifth instar, Pedro Leopoldina, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
December 8, 2016, courtesy of Wolfgang Walz, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

My identification of the moth and larva from Pedro Leopoldina as Rothschildia belus is tentative at best. It is possible that they are nominate erycina or a subspecies of erycina or belus. My determination is largely based on Lemaire's Attacinae, 1978 where Lemaire indicates erycina and belus are distinct species from different geographic locations: erycina (Guiano-Amazonian); belus (southeastern Brazil). Claude indicates the two species are very similar in appearance and are easily confused and have been misidentified in the literature.

I have received quite a few images (adults and larvae) of Rothschildia erycina erycina (eastern side of Andes) and Rothschildia erycina nigrescens (western side of Andes). Those moths (erycina subspecies) appear darker than the belus? images on this page, and more importantly the erycina larvae all lack the broken row of lateral orangey-red patches that are evident in the image supplied by Wolfgang Walz from Minas Gerais. Lemaire indicates the range for belus is from Espirito Santo to Rio Grande do Sul.

Ezequiel Osvaldo Núñez Bustos sent me a paper in August 2015 which includes Rothschildia belus in northeastern Argentina: Misiones: Refugio Mocona. I would not be surprised if the specimens from northwestern Argentina are erycina or a subspecies thereof, while the specimens from northeastern Argentina are belus or a subspecies therof.

Rothschildia belus has been placed in the subgroup of six species characterized by 1) two longitudinal white stripes on the dorsal surface of the abdomen, 2) two or three subapical spots on the forewing and 3) a white prothoracic collar: jacobaeae; condor; tucumani; erycina; belus; hopfferi.

Jacobaeae, condor and tucumani have large rounded spots, while those of erycina, belus and hopfferi are narrow triangles.

R. belus is about the same size as erycina mexicana and its only external difference is the slightly more brownish red colour in belus. The image below is of Rothschildia erycina mexicana.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Cherry is probably the prefered hostplant for captive rearing.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Mating occurs in the wee hours of the morning with males on the wing around 3:00 am.

The female stil has the much pronounced forewing apex, but generally her wings are much more rounded.

Rothschildia belus female, Pedro Leopoldino, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
January 3, 2017, Wolfgang Walz, emerged after 9 months in cocoon.

Rothschildia belus female, Pedro Leopoldino, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
January 3, 2017, Wolfgang Walz, emerged after 9 months in cocoon.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Larvae probably do best on Prunus. They also probably take Ailanthus quite readily but grow slowly on privet.

Rothschildia belus?? fifth instar, Pedro Leopoldina, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
December 8, 2016, courtesy of Wolfgang Walz, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Rothschildia belus?? fifth instar, Pedro Leopoldina, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
December 8, 2016, courtesy of Wolfgang Walz, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Rothschildia belus?? fifth instar, Pedro Leopoldina, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
December 8, 2016, courtesy of Wolfgang Walz, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

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.

Ailanthus altissima ....... Chiococca alba Ligustrum Prunus

Ailanthus Snowberry, West Indian Milkberry Privet Cherry

Return To Main Saturniidae Index

Return to Rothschildia Index

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.

The species name, belus, could derive from a number of sources:
1) Belus is the son of Poseidon by Libya, daughter of Epaphus, who was the son of Io and Zeus. Belus's most famous sons were Aegyptus and Danaus.
2) Belus is the king of Sidon and father of Dido (Virgil I, 621, 729).
3) Belus is the Latin name for the Semitic god Baal.

source: Micha F. Lindemans