ANTHERAEA OF THE WORLD

Telea, a subgenus of Antheraea is sometimes used with New World species. Antheraeopsis, another subgenus, is recognized for a relatively small group of moths from India, Myanmar, Vietnam, southeastern China, Taiwan, Sumatra and the Philippines, etc.. Most species are in the Antheraea subgenus. These subgenera are further divided into various groups and subgroups.

Antheraea (Antheraeopsis) formosana by Leroy Simon.

This genus is characterized by large brown to yellow moths with rather large discal spots on both hindwings and forewings. Males are noted for their large quadripectinate antennae while females have much finer, but still quadripectinate structures.

Larvae are usually green with convex body segments. The valveless, egg-shaped cocoon is frequently attached to leafy stems via a strong silken "hanger".

Most species are oriental, and several species are still used for commercial silk production. Interesting hybrids are easy to produce.

"This genus of rather typically patterned Saturniines is defined by a number of peculiar features of the male genitalia. The valves are deeply bifid, the dorsal lobe bearing several long, robust setae dorsally; the lower lobe is slender, more finely setose. Interior to the valve is a somewhat conical lobe referred to by Arora & Gupta (1979) as the labide. The anellus is strongly sclerotised and has a dorsal projection. There is a massive, rather elongate sclerotised process arising from between the bases of the valve costas that is considered to be the uncus by Arora & Gupta and by Michener (1952); the latter suggested the dorsal process of the anellus was the gnathus, fused to it. The tegumen is produced dorsally into a narrow, rather weakly sclerotised process. The saccus is well developed.

"The species rosieri Toxopeus shares all these features and therefore should not be separated in the genus Loepantheraea Toxopeus.

"The larvae of both Indian (mylitta Drury) and American (godmani Druce) species are illustrated by Gardiner (1982), and those of several more are described. The American species is shown as bright green, smooth-skinned, with conical spined scoli that are particularly prominent on the thorax and in the caudal zone. The Indian species is more elongate, tapering slightly at each end, and has no obvious scoli but is invested with a more general pilosity, some of which is on tubercles.

"The silken cocoon is wrapped in leaf fragments and suspended by a short stalk from a twig.

"The genus is mainly Oriental but there are four species (polyphemus, oculea, montezuma, godmani) in the New World and one representative in the S. Moluccas. The status of Australian taxa attributed to Antheraea needs investigation."

Ben Trott, who has sent me many outstanding images of Sphinigidae, sends this beautiful image of Antheraea polyphemus feeding on Populus grandidenta in British Columbia, Canada.

Antheraea polyphemus fifth instar on Populus grandidenta,
British Columbia, Canada, courtesy of Ben Trott.

Ben also reports seeing polyphemus larvae on Betula pubescens.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Saturniinae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Tribe: Saturniini, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Genus: Antheraea Hubner [1819]

Listing of Antheraea

N acehensis Paukstadt, U. & Paukstadt, L.H., 2010: Sumatra, Indonesien
N andamana Moore, 1877 Adaman Islands?, India
N banggaiana Brechlin, 2014 Indonesia: Central Sulawesi
N kalabahiensis Naumann, 2010, Indonesia, Eastern Lesser Sunda Islands, Alor Island, 5 km NW Kalabahi, 150 m. 1.-8.III.2006
N loeffleri Naumann, 2010 Indonesia, Moluccas, Obi Island, south coast, 25 km. N Tapaya village, 1700-1800 m. 20.VI.-20.VII.2008.
N mindanarissa Brechlin, 2014 Philippines, Mindanao
N myanmarensis U. Paukstadt , L.H. Paukstadt & Brosch, 1998 Myanmar, Tenasserim Range; 9.XI.1992.
N negrorissa Brechlin, 2014 probably Negros, Philippines
N philippirissa Treadaway & Nässig, 1997 updated as per Brechlin, R. & Meister, F. (2014): Sechs neue Arten der Gattung Antheraea Hübner, 1819 („1816”) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). Entomo-Satsphingia 7(1):32-40; Philippines
N puncakensis Brechlin, 2014 probably Puncak, West Jawa
N ranongensis Paukstadt, U. & Paukstadt, L.H., 2010 Thailand
N rolfei Naumann & Löffler in Naumann, 2010 Indonesia, Moluccas, Taliabu Island; II.2007
N selayarensis Paukstadt, U. & Paukstadt, L.H., 2013; Insel Selayar, Provinz Süd Sulawesi, Indonesien
N sergestus Westwood, 1881 previously synonymized with yamamai, possibly Japan
N visayarissa Brechlin, 2014 central Philippines; possibly Leyte

P alleni (Holloway, 1987) Borneo
P alorensis U. Paukstadt & L.H. Paukstadt, 2005, Alor, Eastern Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia.
P angustomarginata Brechlin and Meister, 2009 Cambodia
P assamensis (Helfer, 1837) India
N billitonensis (Moore, 1878) Sumatra
P borneensis (Moore, 1892) Borneo, Sumatra
P broschi Naumann, 2001 East Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra
P brunei (Allen & Holloway, 1986) Sumatra, Borneo, Philippines: Palawan
N cadioui (Naumann 2010); Indonesia, West Sumatra, Mentawai Islands, Southern Siberut Island, 50 m., Salappa village env
P caypta Chu et Wang Yunnan, China
P castanea (Jordan, 1910) Laos
P celebensis Watson, 1915 Sundaland, central Sulawesi
N cernyi Brechlin, 2002 India
P cihangiri Naumann & Nässig, 1998 Indonesia: Sulawesi: Pulau Peleng
P cingalesa Moore 1883; Sri Lanka
P compta Rothschild, 1899 India
P cordifolia Weymer, 1906 INDONESIA: Sulawesi Selatan Province, Puncak Palopo
P diehli (Lemaire, 1979) Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia.
P exspectata Brechlin, 2000 Indonesia: Sulawesi
P formosana Sonan, 1937 Taiwan
P frithi (Moore, 1859) Thailand
P frithi javanensis (Moore), Java, southwestern China
P frithi pedunculata Bouvier, 1936 Thailand
P frithi tonkinensis Bouvier, 1936 Vietnam, China
P gschwandneri Niepelt, 1918 Borneo, Thailand, Sumatra, Myanmar
P myanmarensis U. Paukstadt, L.H. Paukstadt & Brosch, 1998 Myanmar; junior synonym of gschwandneri
P godmani (Druce, 1892) Mexico to Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia
P gulata Nässig & Treadaway, 1998 Philippines
P hagedorni Naumann, 2008 Philippines: Luzon.
P halconensis U. Paukstadt & Brosch, 1996 Philippines: Mindoro Island.
P harndti Naumann, 1999 China
P harti (Moore, 1892) Amur, China, southern Europe
P helferi (Moore,1858-59) Himalaya, Sundaland, Malaysia, Laos
P hollowayi Nässig & Naumann, 1998 Indonesia: Moluccas: Seram
P imperator Watson, 1913 Java,
P insularis Watson, 1914, India: Adamans
P jakli Naumann, 2008 Sumatra: West Sumatra Province: Siberut Island
P jana (Stoll, 1782) Sundaland, India: Adamans, Myanmar
N jawabaratensis Brechlin & Paukstadt, 2010; Indonesia, Java, West Java Province, S slope Mt. Papandayan (2622 m.), 1590 m., Kramat Wangi.
P kageri U. Paukstadt, L.H. Paukstadt & Suhardjono, 1997 Indonesia: Sulawesi
P kalangensis Brechlin and Meister, 2009 Kalang Peninsula; Indonesia, Sumatra, Aceh, Kalang peninsula, near Meulaboh, 5-10 m.
P kelimutuensis U. Paukstadt, L.H. Paukstadt & Suhardjono, 1997 Indonesia: Lesser Sunda Islands: Flores, Alor; East Timor
P korintjiana (Bouvier, 1928) Sumatra, Borneo and Peninsular Himalaya, Sundaland, Malaysia
N knyvetti (Hampson), India
P lampei (Nässig & Holloway, 1989) Northern Sundaland: Himalaya, Sundaland, Sumatra, Malaysia,
Borneo: Kalimantan; Brunei.
P larissa (Westwood, 1847) Sumatra, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia
P larissa ridlyi Moore, 1892 Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Bali, Philippines
P larissoides (Bouvier, 1928) Laos
N lorosae M. D. Lane, Naumann, & D. A. Lane, 2004, East Timor
N meisteri Brechlin, 2002 India
P mentawai Nässig, Lampe & Kager, 2002 Sumatra
P mexicana (Hoffmann, 1942) Mexico, Guatemala
P minahassae Niepelt, 1926 Indonesia: Sulawesi: Pulau Peleng
P mindoroensis U. Paukstadt & Brosch, 1996 Philippines: Mindoro Island
P mindoroensis philippirissa Treadaway & Nässig, 1998 Philippines
P montezuma (Salle, 1856) Mexico
P moultoni Watson, 1927, Borneo
P mylitta (Drury, 1773) India
P oculea (Neumoegen, 1883), Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Mexico
N pahangensis Brechlin & Paukstadt 2010 Malaysia, Cameron Highlands, Tana Rata, Pahang.
P paniki (Nässig & Treadaway, 1998), Philippines
P paniki sahi (Nässig & Treadaway, 1998), Philippines
P paphia (Linnaeus, 1758), India
P pasteuri Bouvier, 1928 Lesser Sunda Islands: Lombok, Indonesia
P paukpelengensis Brechlin and Meister, 2009 Peleng-island (Central Sulawesi province [Banggai archipelago], Indonesia).
P paukstadtorum (Holloway, Naumann & Nässig, 1996) Sulawesi, Indonesia
P pelengensis Brechlin, 2000 Sulawesi, Indonesia; North Moluccas Province (Sanana Isl.)
P pernyi (Guerin-Meneville, 1855) Amur, China, Europe
P platessa Rothschild, 1903 Borneo, China, Myanmar, Vietnam
Antheraea pernyi yunnanensis Chu et Wang, China: Yunnan; is a synonym of platessa
Antheraea yunnanensis CHU & WANG, 1993, Myanmar Vietnam, China; is a synonym of platessa
P polyphemus (Cramer, 1776), all of North America
P polyphemus mexicana Hoffmann, 1942 Mexico, Guatemala
P polyphemus olivacea (Cockerell, 1914) Utah; Colorado; more likely just a form, not a subspecies
P A. polyphemus tuxtlasensis Balcazár & Vázquez, 1994 Mexico
P pratti (Bouvier, 1928) Sumatra
P raffrayi (Bouvier, 1928) Lesser Sunda Islands: Bali, Indonesia
P ranakaensis U. Paukstadt, L.H. Paukstadt, Suhardjono, 1997 Lesser Sunda Islands: Flores, Alor
P rosemariae Holloway, Nässig & Naumann, 1995 Sulawesi
P rosieri (Toxopeus), Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo
P rosieri imeldae Nässig & Treadaway, 1998 Philippines
P roylii (Moore, 1859) Sumatra, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, India.
P rubicunda Brechlin, 2009 Bhutan, Nepal, probably India (Sikkim)
N rubicunda rubiorientalis Brechlin 2009 Vietnam, Mt. Fan-si-pan, N seite, Cha-pa (Sapa), 1600-1900 m., July, 1995

P rumphii rumphii C. Felder 1861 Indonesia: Sulawesi; Moluccas
P rumphii buruensis Bouvier, 1928 Moluccas: Buru Island
P rumphii ceramensis Bouvier, 1930 Indonesia: Moluccas: Island of Seram, Province Malaku
P schroederi U. Paukstadt, Brosch & L.H. Paukstadt, 1999 Philippines
P semperi (C. & R. Felder, 1861) Philippines
P semperi noeli Nässig & Treadaway, 1998 Philippines
P steinkeorum (Paukstadt, Paukstadt & Borsch, 1999) Laos, Thailand, Malaysia
N sumbaensis (Naumann 2010) Lesser Sunda Islands: Sumba
P ulrichbroschi U. Paukstadt & L.H. Paukstadt, 1999 Malaysia; synonym of steinkeorum
P sumbawaensis (Brechlin, 2000) Lesser Sunda Islands: Sumbawa
P sumatrana Niepelt, 1926 Sumatra
P taripaensis Naumann & Nässig, 1996 Indonesia: Sulawesi:
P tenggarensis Brechlin, 2000 Lesser Sunda Islands: Lombok, Sumbawa, Lesser Sunda Islands: Sumba
N vietnamensis Brechlin & Paukstadt 2010 Vietnam
P viridiscura Holloway, Nässig & Naumann, 1996 Indonesia: Sulawesi
P yamamai (Guerin-Meneville, 1861) Japan
P yamamai bergmani (Shoutsu) North Korea
P yamamai superba Inoue, 1964 Taiwan
P yamamai titan Vietnam
P yamamai ussuriensis Schachbazov, 1953 Japan, North Korea, South Korea
P yamamai yoshimotoi Inoue, 1965 Japan
P zwicki Nässig & Treadaway, 1998 Palawan, Philippines; Borneo

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On my home computer only: notes on new Antheraea by Ronald Brechlin (in German) as published in Entomo-Satsphingia 2 (1): 42 – 46 (March 2009)

On my home computer only: notes on Saturniidae of Bhutan by Ronald Brechlin (in English) as published in Entomo-Satsphingia 2 (1): 47 – 55 (March 2009)

The actual hardcopy editions of Entomo-Satsphingia may be purchased via the link to the left.