PARADIRPHIA OF THE WORLD

The genus Paradirphia belongs to the Hemileucini Tribe of Subfamily Hemileucinae in the Saturniidae Family. Larvae have urticating spines, and members of this genus are found in Mexico and Central America with just a few species found in western South America: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and possibly Jujuy, Argentina.

Adult moths have subparallel am and pm lines that may be sold white or a series of white dots aligned on wing veins. Both the am and pm lines angle or bend significantly toward the body as they near the costa. The forewing cell lacks the solid or diffuse black "spot" along its outer edge. In many of the Paradirphia species the outer edge of the cell seems vestigial near its center. Two new genera (Lemaireodirphia and Manodirphia) always have the solid or diffuse dark "spot" (usually subcircular) at the end of the cell, and the pm lines lack the distinct and prominent inturn of the pm line near the costa, as found in Paradirphia species.

Many of the recently (2010) described species are extremely similar to earlier described species, especially Paradirphia semirosea, and the range of semirosea may be more limited to Mexico: Puebla, Veracruz, Chiapas, being replaced in other countries by look-alike species. In some cases DNA barcoding may be necessary for a conclusive determination.

I have seen some images of Paradirphia that suggest there are as yet (September 2014) undescribed species in this genus as per the images directly below which I have tentatively posted to the Paradirphia semirosea file.

Paradirphia semirosea?? female?, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico,
May 17, 2013, 2200m, courtesy of Lauren Zarate,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Paradirphia semirosea/frankae?? male, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico,
May 3, 2013, 2200m, courtesy of Lauren Zarate,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Precise location and even elevation may help with some determinations.

Paradirphia geneforti fifth instar courtesy of Horst Kach.

PARADIRPHIA MICHENER, 1949

Listing of Paradirphia

P andicola Lemaire 2003 Colombia, Ecuador
N andrei Brechlin & Meister, 2010 Mexico
N anikae Brechlin & Meister, 2010 Mexico
P antonia (Dognin, 1911) Colombia
Dirphia semirosa apollinairei Bouvier, 1930, Colombia, is same as antonia
P boudinoti Lemaire & Wolfe, 1990 Mexico
P citrina Druce, 1886 Guatemala, Mexico
Dirphia semirosea f. angrandi Bouvier, 1923, Mexico, is same as citrina
P coprea (Draudt, 1930) Mexico
P esitvalisae Guererro & Passola, 2003Guatemala
P frankae Brechlin & Meister, 2010 Mexico
P fumosa fumosa (R. Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874) Mexico
ab. Dirphia inornata Bouvier, 1925, Mexico, is same as fumosa fumosa
P fumosa michoacana Beutelspacher, 1984 Mexico
N gabrielae Brechlin & Meister, 2010 Guatemala
P geneforti (Bouvier, 1923) Ecuador, Colombia
Dirphia semirosea f. gemeli Bouvier, 1925, Colombia, is same as geneforti
N hectori Brechlin & Meister, 2010 Mexico
N herediana Brechlin & Meister, 2010 Costa Rica
P hoegei Druce, 1886 Mexico; As of June 2012, a species in Lemaireodirphia genus
Dirphia rufa Bouvier, 1930, Mexico, is same as hoegei
P ibarrai Balcazar-Lara, 1999 Mexico
P lasiocampina C. & R. Felder, 1874 Mexico; As of June 2012, a species in Lemaireodirphia genus
P latipunctata (Lemaire, 1976) Bolivia, Peru; possibly Jujuy (NV/WO?) in northern Argentina; raised to full species status by Brechlin & Meister, 2010; from subspecies of oblita
N lieseorum Brechlin & Meister, 2010 Nicaragua
P leoni Brechlin & Meister, 2010 Mexico
P manes Druce, 1897 Mexico; As of June 2012, a species in Manodirphia genus
P oblita oblita (Lemaire, 1976) Ecuador, Peru
P oblita latipunctata (Lemaire, 1976) Bolivia, Peru; possibly Jujuy (NV/WO?) in northern Argentina; raised to full species status by Brechlin & Meister, 2010
P rectilineata Wolfe, 1994 Honduras, El Salvador
N peggyae Brechlin & Meister, 2010 Nicaragua
N pararudloffi Brechlin & Meister, 2010 Guatemala
P rudloffi Brechlin & Meister, 2008 Guatemala
P semirosea (Walker, 1855) ?, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico
ab. Phricodia roseana Draudt, 1930, ?, is same as semirosea
N torva (Weymer, 1907) Colombia
N talamancaia Brechlin & Meister, 2010 Costa Rica
P valverdei Lemaire & Wolfe, 1990 Mexico, Honduras
P wenczeli Luigi Racheli, 2008 Peru
P winifredae Lemaire & Wolfe, 1990 Costa Rica, Panama

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Hemileucinae 2008