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Updated as per
http://www.inbio.ac.cr/bims/k02/p05/c029/o0119/f00885.htm IB, April 2008 Updated as per Entomo Satsphingia Yahrgang 4 Heft 1 23 03 2011; February 21, 2012 |
TAXONOMY:Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 |
"Someone to Watch Over Me" |
Possibly it flies as far north as Jinotega in northern Nicaragua.
This moth might? be replaced by recently (2011) described Automeris paracelata in some areas of Costa Rica or in Panama, or it may fly with Automeris paracelata which has much less suffusion of yellow-orange scales in the median area.
This species is also somewhat similar to A. montezuma and examination of genitalia may be necessary to distinguish some specimens taken in Costa Rica.
Forewings veins of Automeris celata seem accentuated and I do not observe the yellow dots at the intersection of the veins and the pm line.
In Europe, Bernhard Wenczel reports Quercus is used with some success.
Automeris celata male, Santa Maura, Nicaragua,
courtesy of Jean-Michael Maes, very tentative id by Bill Oehlke.
Automeris celata (male top) and (female bottom) courtesy of Dan Janzen.
Eggs are deposited in large clusters and larvae are highly gregarious.Urticating spines offer the Automeris celata larvae much protection and the spines are extremely dense in the early instars. Dan Janzen image. |
In the final instar the larvae get quite plump, spreading the armaments somewhat. |
This fifth instar larva has retained mostly green colourtion and will shortly descend tree trunk to pupate in a light cocoon amongst the leaf litter.
Automeris celata fifth instar, courtesy of Leroy Simon.
Adelia triloba........ | Adelia triloba |
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