DISTRIBUTION:

Automerella aurora (wingspan: males: 46-65mm; females: 54-70mm) is endemic to
southeastern Brazil: Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Parana (CM), Sao Paulo, Santa Catarina.

It is also confirmed now in
Argentina: Misiones, by Luis Cesar Tejo.

Automerella aurora male, Don Enrique Lodge, Saltos del Mocona, Misiones, Argentina,
courtesy of Luis Cesar Tejo.

Automerella aurora male, Don Enrique Lodge, Saltos del Mocona, Misiones, Argentina,
courtesy of Luis Cesar Tejo.

It is interesting that in the images on this page and also in Lemaire's book that the "toe" of the male cell spot is turned outward to the postmedial line which touches the cell, whereas, in the female, the "toe" is pointed inward toward the body. Dr. Mielke's image of the female, below, shows no toe pointing.

Automerella aurora female, Rio Natal, 500 m, Sao Bento do Sul, SC, Brazil,
courtesy of Carlos Mielke.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths have been taken January-March and in September, suggesting at least two broods annually.

Larvae will likely accept Fagus, Ligustrum, Quercus and Robinia pseudoacacia.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females probably call in the night-flying males via an airbourne pheromone released from a gland at the tip of the abdomen.

Automerella aurora female courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Larvae have urticating spines and are gregarious in their habits.

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.

Fagus Ligustrum Quercus Robinia pseudoacacia.....

Beech Privet Oak False acacia

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The pronunciation of scientific names is troublesome for many. The "suggestion" at the top of the page is merely a suggestion. It is based on commonly accepted English pronunciation of Greek names and/or some fairly well accepted "rules" for latinized scientific names.

The suggested pronunciations, on this page and on other pages, are primarily put forward to assist those who hear with internal ears as they read.

There are many collectors from different countries whose intonations and accents would be different.

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 'Automerella', but it may have been for the likeness to small Automeris species.

The species name, 'aurora' probably comes from Roman mythology, where Aurora is goddess of the dawn. The bright colouration of the hindwing suggests a sunrise.