Automeris amoena rotunda
Updated as per Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002, February, 2008
Updated as per personal communication with Nigel Venters (Calilegua, Jujuy, Argentina, November 16, 2009, males = 75-80mm, at 750m)

Automeris amoena rotunda
Lemaire, 1971

Automeris amoena rotunda male, Chuquisaca, Bolivia, T. Decaëns & G. Lecourt.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Tribe: Hemileucini, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Genus: Automeris, Hubner, [1819]

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DISTRIBUTION:

Automeris amoena rotunda (wingspan: males: 75 (NV)-87-89mm; females: 79-96mm) flies in low elevation Andean forests (350 - 1500 m in
southern Bolivia: Chuquisaca, and in
northern Argentina: Tucuman, Jujuy (NV) and probably Salta.

Lemaire groups illustris, amoena, amoena rotunda and coresus as having abdomens that are usually orange, matching the basal area of the hindwings. The forewing postmedial line is preapical.

A. amoena generally has a larger, more rounded pupil with a lighter iris; A. amoena rotunda has a more rounded apex, a straight or slightly convex outer margin and a concave post medial line; A. coresus has a basic ground colour of ash-gray.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Nigel Venters reports a November flight in Calilegua, Jujuy, Argnetina.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use their more highly developed antennae to seek out females who release an airbourne pheromone into the night sky.

Automeris amoena rotunda pair, Chuquisaca, Bolivia, T. Decaëns & G. Lecourt.

Both of the specimens depicted above from Calilegua, Jujuy, Argentina, courtesy of Nigel Venters, are considerably smaller than the previously inspected specimens, according to Lemaire.

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


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.

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Automeris amoena rotunda male, Santa Maria, Brazil, courtesy of Vernon Evans.

I (William Oehlke) have identified the above specimen as Automeris amoena rotunda even though Santa Maria in Rio Grande do Sul would extend its range (as per Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002) considerably eastward. It might also be the nominate species.