BATHYPHLEBIA OF THE WORLD

Bathyphlebia belong to the Subfamily Ceratocampinae of the Family Saturniidae.

Eggs are translucent and the developing larvae can be seen through the egg shells.

Like all the Ceratocampinae, the larvae are well-endowed with long thoracic "horns" which tend to diminish relative to body size as the larvae progress through successive moults.

Mature larvae descend trees to pupate in subterranean chambers.

These moths fly in South America at moderate to high elevation along the Andes.

Antennae of the males are quadrapectinate to the apex, distinguishing this genera from Eacles.

Bathyphlebia eminens fifth instar on Myrica pubescens,
Cosanga, Napo, Ecuador, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Bathyphlebia aglia M: 112-125mm; 2200-3200m dark grey ground colour Colombia: Cundinamarca; Meta Venezuela: Tachira Peru: Madre de Dios ?? Ecuador: Morona-Santiago

Bathyphlebia aglioides 2950m reddish-brown ground colour Peru: Cusco

I suspect B. aglioides is smaller than B. aglia, but I have no measurements for confirmation. The differences in the almost solid ground colour of the forewings (grey in aglia and reddish brown in aglioides) should readily distinguish the two species. Both species lack the strong presence of a yellowish apical area as found in rufescens, johnsoni and flavior.

Bathyphlebia eminens M: 99-112mm; F: 110-118mm 1500-2200m flies in ??Peru: San Martin; ?Amazonas possibly? replaced by B. eminentoides in Peru Ecuador: Sucumbios; Napo: San Isidro; Morona-Santiago; Loja; Tungurahua; Zamora-Chinchipe; ?Pastaza Colombia: Valle; Cundinamarca

Bathyphlebia eminentoides 81-92mm 2000m Peru: San Martin, Givaros Possibly this species replaces eminens in Peru?

I suspect the smaller Bathyphlebia eminentoides replaces B. eminens in Peru. Other than by size and location, and possibly elevation, it might be difficult to distinguish between eminens and eminentoides. I do not know if the darker scaling of eminens in the images is a consistent character.

Yellow Apical Region

Bathyphlebia rufescens M: 101-126mm; F: 117-131mm cloud forests; 2300-2840m western Ecuador: Pichincha; Canar; Bolivar; Carchi; Imbabura; ?? Cotopaxi; ?? Los Rios

Bathyphlebia flavior M: 95-109mm; F: 111-119mm 2100-2700m Peru: Huanuco; Junin; ??Pasco eastern Ecuador: Napo; Morona-Santiago; Loja; Zamora-Chinchipe; ??Pastaza

Bathyphlebia johnsoni M: 111-118mm; F: 120mm 2200m Cinnamon brown ground colour black shading in hw pm area Ventral surfaces: generous black speckling southern Peru: Apurimac central Ecuador: Canar; Loja

P indicates a photograph is available. The first country listed is the type locality.

Listing of Bathyphlebia

P aglia R. Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874 Colombia, Venezuela, Peru; maybe eastern Ecuador
gschwandneri Schawerda, 1925, Colombia is a synomym for aglia
P aglioides Naumann, S , U. Brosch & B. Wenczel, 2009 Peru
P eminens (Dognin, 1891) Ecuador, Peru, Colombia
N eminentoides Brechlin & Meister 2009 Peru
P flavior Oiticica & Michener, 1950 northeastern Peru, Ecuador
P johnsoni Oiticica & Michener, 1950 southern Peru, central Ecuador, ? Colombia
P rufescens Oiticica & Michener, 1950 western Ecuador

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