Automeris ahuitzotli
Automeris ahuitzotli
Lemaire & Wolfe, 1993
TAXONOMY:
Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Tribe: Hemileucini, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Genus: Automeris, Hubner, [1819] |
MIDI MUSIC
"Someone to Watch Over Me"
copyright C. Odenkirk
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DISTRIBUTION:
The Automeris ahuitzotli moth
(wingspan: males: 68-71mm (maybe larger); females: 80-83mm (maybe larger)) flies in
western and
central Mexico: Guerrero, probably Oaxaca, over
925m.
It is distinguished from A. c. cecrops by mature larva
differences as well as differences in adult male genitalia.
Although the specimens depicted below are larger
(determined from photos and not actual measurements)
than the information
given by Lemaire for ahuitzotli, that is probably due to lack
of available material. The light grey-violet areas in the median area
and lower terminal area are a better match for his description of
ahuitzotli than for
the slightly larger but very similar cecrops cecrops.
Automeris ahuitzotli male, Mexico, 78mm,
BOLD Systems, on my home computer only.
Automeris ahuitzotli male, Mexico, 82mm,
BOLD Systems, on my home computer only.
FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:
Moths are on the wing in May and June.
Larvae have been lab reared
on both Robinia pseudoacacia and Acacia baileyana.
Automeris ahuitzotli female, Mexico, 87mm,
BOLD Systems, on my home computer only.
ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:
Males use their more highly
developed antennae to seek out females who release an airbourne
pheromone into the night sky.
EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:
Eggs are deposited in
clusters of 6-40+ on hostplant twigs. Larvae have urticating spines
and are gregarious, especially in the early instars.
Larval Food Plants
Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants
listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae.
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.
Robinia pseudoacacia....... Acacia baileyana
| False acacia Bailey's acacia
|
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