DISTRIBUTION:

The Arsenura ponderosa guianensis moth (wingspan: males: 160-185mm; females: 210-220mm) flies in
Guyana: Georgetown; and
French Guiana: Saint-Jean-du-Maroni, Kaw mountains (CD);
French Guiana: Nouragues: Heliport - Drop Zone, 4.088, -52.681, collected by MAS. Smith & R. Rougerie, 2011-02-03; 2011-02-07, 2011-02-08 (Mirror); and
probably throughout coastal Suriname.

Both males and females of Arsenura ponderosa guianensis have a produced forewing apex, absent in both the nominate subspecies and A. p. yungasensis. Male guianensis tend to be quite orangey-brown.

Rare Arsenura ponderosa guianensis female, Kaw mountains, courtesy/copyright Carlot Didier.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There are at least two generations of Arsenura ponderosa guianensis on the wing each year from January-February-March and in July. FGS reports a flight in November. Andres Urbas reports a late March - early April flight in French Guiana.

Arsenura ponderosa guianensis male, French Guiana,
March 31, 2011, courtesy of Andres Urbas.

Moths prefer a light rain and are on the wing from 12:10-3:30 am.

Larval hosts are unknown.

Arsenura ponderosa guianensis male, French Guiana,
April 7, 2011, courtesy of Andres Urbas.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Arsenurini males use their antennae to seek out females (below) which scent at night.

Arsenura ponderosa guianensis female courtesy of Carlot Didier.

Arsenura ponderosa guianensis male, French Guiana, courtesy of Carlot Didier.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Larvae descend tree trunks at maturity to pupate in subterranean chambers.

Arsenura ponderosa guianensis male, French Guiana,
April 1, 2011, courtesy of Andres Urbas.

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.

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 "Arsenura" chosen by Duncan in 1841.

The species name "ponderosa" was probably chosen for the large size of the nominate subspecies, but both of the subsequently named subspecies, yungasensis and guianensis are larger. "Guianensis" is for the specimen type location in French Guiana.

Arsenura ponderosa guianensis male, French Guiana,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

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