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

DISTRIBUTION:

Titaea tamerlan tamerlan (wingspan: males: 120-151mm; females: 135-140mm // forewing length: males: 78.9mm; females: 90.5mm) flies in
southeastern Brazil: Rio de Janeiro (NV), Parana (CM), Sao Paulo, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.

The outer margins of the wings are scalloped and there is a dark triangular patch near the apex (extended in the male) along the costa. There are also brown markings near the forewing hyaline spots.

Titaea tamerlan tamerlan male, Rio Natal, 500 m,
Sao Bento do Sul, SC, Brazil, courtesy of Carlos Mielke.

Titaea tamerlan tamerlan female, Rio Natal, 500 m,
Sao Bento do Sul, SC, Brazil, courtesy of Carlos Mielke.

The "tails" of the female and the forewing apex are much less produced.

Titaea tamerlan tamerlan male, Machoeiras de Macacu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
March 24, 2014, courtesy of Nigel Voaden.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Titaea tamerlan larvae feed upon Bombax (Silk-cotton tree), Bombacopsis quinatum (Bombacopsis) and Tilia platyphyllos (Basswood/Lime) and possibly kopak trees.

Roy macIntyre reports a February 2, 2012, flight in Materlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Nigel Voaden reports a march 24, 2014 flight in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Titaea tamerlan male courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Titaea tamerlan tamerlan male courtesy of Daniel Rojas Lanus.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Adults eclose in the evening (7-8 pm) from underground pupae

There is no distinguishing of sexes by antennae, but males have slightly more elongate tails than do the females which emit an airbourne pheromone to call in males at night..

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Eggs typically incubate for seven to eight days.

First instar larvae are well adorned with protective "spikes", especially long and bifurcate on thoracic segments.

Colour and patterning change dramatically as these larvae move into subsequent instars.

Second instar larva may have protective camouflage of "bird dropping". Colours change with each subsequent moult, and now basic green colour prevails. A central yellow dorsal line, suggesting a leaf vein, runs the length of the caterpillar. Larvae bulk up considerably in final instar where they are without "horns".

Caterpillars will descend trees to pupate in the soil.

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.

Bombax Bombacopsis quinatum..... Brachychiton populneus Chorisia speciosa Pachira quinata Tilia platyphyllos

Silk-cotton tree Bombacopsis Kurrajong Tree Silk floss tree Shaving-Brush Tree Basswood/Lime

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

Return to Titaea Genus

Goto South American Saturniidae Directory

Goto 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.

Some of the early describers/namers chose genus and species names indicating some character of the insect, but more often, they simply chose names from Greek or Roman mythology or history.

Those species names which end in "ensis" indicate a specimen locale, and those which end in "i", pronounced "eye", honour a contempory friend/collector/etc.

The genus name "Titaea" comes from the Greek Titaea, who is the mother of the Titans.

Tamerlan is a ruthless military leader whose ambition for power and fame lead him to defeat his Turkish emperor, Bayaset.

Titaea tamerlan (female), courtesy of Angelo Santin,
(more likely T. tamerlan amazonensis according to Frederic Beneluz)

There is considerable colour and patterning variation among larvae. Image courtesy of Angelo Santin, (more likely T. tamerlan amazonensis according to Frederic Beneluz).