DISTRIBUTION:

Titaea guayaquila (wingspan: males: 112-125mm; females: 121-138mm) flies in
northwest Peru: (Piura Department (CCM)); (Lambayeque Department, 1200m (HM)); and
southwest Ecuador: Manabi; Guayas; Loja (PO), at elevations from 690-1800 meters above sea level.

Specimens tend to be quite dark with a deep scalloping of the outer margins of the wings.

Titaea guayaquila male, Lambayeque Department, Peru,
1200m, courtesy/copyright of Hubert Mayer.

According to Luigi Racheli this moth has been elevated to full species status as Titaea guayaquila.

Titaea guayaquila, male, Urruca Lodge, Jorupe National Park, Loja, Ecuador,
February 18, 2011, 690m, courtesy of Pia Oberg.

"In his revision of Arsenurinae, LEMAIRE (1980, see also LEMAIRE 1996) treated the taxon raveni from northwestern Peru, as a junior synonym of guayaquila. The same author (LEMAIRE 1980) figured specimens (male and female) from Manabí province (western Ecuador) which fit the female holotype of guayaquila figured by OITICICA-FILHO (1957). In contrast, the male specimen of guayaquila figured by LEMAIRE (1980) does not fit the male holotype of raveni figured by JOHNSON & MICHENER (1948).

"LEMAIRE (1980) pointed out that the taxon guayaquila is very variable and that raveni is only a form, hence a synonym of guayaquila. In recent times, we have had the opportunity to examine specimens of guayaquila from western Ecuador and specimens from northwestern Peru. Furthermore, additional information about specimens from both areas have been obtained from KIRBY WOLFE (pers. comm.) who collected and also reared specimens of both populations. According to KIRBY WOLFE (pers. comm.), these two populations from western Ecuador and from northwestern Peru do not show differences in the male genitalia and in the preimaginal instars but, they differ in some features of the external morphology (in the shape of the wings and in their ground colours). Furthermore, some differences, comparing male specimens, have been also noticed in the male antennae. Indeed, the Peruvian specimens show broader antennae if compared with those of specimens from western Ecuador. This comparison has been based on a total of twelve male specimens from northern Peru, and a total of twenty-three male specimens from western Ecuador (in the collection of Claude LEMAIRE, in MNHN; in CLRR; in CRVP).

"As pointed out by LEMAIRE (1980), guayaquila seems to be a small nobilis (SCHAUS, 1912) with darker ground colour characterized by the presence of marked basal and submarginal brownish lines in the forewing. Although the colouration of both wings in nobilis is very variable, the differences outlined by LEMAIRE (1980) are clearly evident when comparing specimens of nobilis and guayaquila from western Ecuador. In contrast, specimens from northwestern Peru (i.e. raveni) show always a greyish ground colour, they are larger if compared with guayaquila and they have always an irregular shape of the margin mainly on the forewing with a series of triangular brown-black points in the submarginal area. According to KIRBY WOLFE (pers. comm.), these two taxa have never been found sympatric. These two taxa are hereby considered two different species according to the differences outlined above." Luigi Racheli

I do not dispute any of the above, but I (Bill Oehlke) do not see a consistent difference.

Titaea guayaquila male, Piura, Peru, courtesy of Carlos Mielke.

Titaea guayaquilla, Sorzoranga, Loja, Ecuador,
January 30, 2014, 1600m, courtesy of Brian Fletcher,
id by Bill Oehlke

Titaea guayaquilla, Sorzoranga, Loja, Ecuador,
January 30, 2014, 1600m, courtesy of Brian Fletcher,
id by Bill Oehlke

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There are likely two broods each year with Titaea guayaquila moths on the wing in January-February and then again in June-July.

Titaea tamerlan guayaquila larvae will likely accept Bombacopsis quinatum.

Titaea guayaquila female, Piura, Peru, courtesy of Carlos Mielke.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Moths fly at night and females emit an airbourne pheromone to "call" the males Eclosion from pupae seems to be under cover of darkness.

Titaea guayaquila female copyright Kirby Wolfe

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Larvae show dramatic structural and colour changes as they develop. Pronounced thoracic and anal scoli of early instars are eliminated from final instar. Mature larvae pupate underground.

Larva copyright Kirby Wolfe

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.

Bombacopsis quinatum .......

Bombacopsis quinatum

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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.

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.

The subspecies name "guayaquilla" is from a collecting site, Guayaquil, in Ecuador.