DISTRIBUTION:

Arsenura aspasia (wingspan: males: 143-160mm; females: 160mm) flies in
Brazil: Rio de Janeiro: Petropolis; Minas Gerais: Santa Barbara; Itamonte; at elevations of 1300 - 1500 - 1800m.

Arsenura aspasia male, Itamonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
1800m, courtesy of Carlos Mielke.

This species is distinguished from biundulata by its range and reduction of lobes on the postmedian lines.

Biundulata Groupe

Arsenura biundulata

Arsenura aspasia

Note greater extension of white lobes toward outer margin on forewing postmedian line of Arsenura biundulata to the far left, compared to almost smooth bend in the same area on Arsenura aspasia to the immediate left.

Arsenura aspasia male, Itamonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
1800m, courtesy of Carlos Mielke.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There are probably two generations of the Arsenura aspasia moth annually with adults probably on the wing in February and then again in July.

Larvae feed on Chorisia speciosa, Luehea divaricata, Lychnophora, Myrsine umbellata, Tibouchina and Vernonia diffusa.

Arsenura aspasia female, Santa Barbara, Minas Gerais, Brazil, courtesy of Carlos G. C. Mielke. copyright

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use their antennae to seek out females which scent at night.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

Mature larvae descend foodplant trunks and stems to pupate in subterranean chambers.

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.

Chorisia speciosa Luehea divaricata Lychnophora Myrsine umbellata Tibouchina Vernonia diffusa.......

Silk Floss Tree Acoita-cavalo/Ka'a oveti Wax Vine Myrsine umbellata Tibouchina/Glory bush Vernonia diffusa

Some of the early describers/namers chose genus and species names indicating some character of the insect, but more often, they simply chose names from Greek or Roman mythology or history.

Those species names which end in "ensis" indicate a specimen locale, and those which end in "i", pronounced "eye", honour a contempory friend/collector/etc.

I do not know the source of the genus name "Arsenura" chosen by Duncan in 1841.

In Greek mythology, Aspasia is one of the most beautiful and educated women of her era. She became the consort of Pericles, leader of democratic Athens. Their relationship caused scandal in the male-dominated world of Classical Athens, not only because the couple remained unmarried, but because of her determination to be treated as an equal.

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