DISTRIBUTION:

The Automeris chacona moth (wingspan: males: 83-98mm; females: 96-108mm) flies in humid Andean forests at 400 - 3000 m in Bolivia (La Paz) and Peru (Junin, Cusco and Huanuco up to 2700 m).

Automeris chacona male, Chapare, Bolivia, courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

Automeris chacona male, LaPaz, Bolivia,
on my home computer only.

This species looks very much like A. illustris, but ante and postmedial lines are less distinct and basic ground colour is duller on chacona. The yellow ring around the eyespot tends to be very narrow (even non-existent), especially in the female.

Black hindwing pupils, split by a white line or star, tend to be small, and they are surrounded by a relatively large brown iris. The black outer ring is thick.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are taken in April-July, October-December, suggesting at least two flights. In Europe, Bernhard Wenczel reports Salix is used with some success.

Automeris chacona female, copyright protected, courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

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 chacona female courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

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.

Automeris chacona larva by Viktor Suter, courtesy of Bernahard Wenczel.

Automeris chacona larva, copyright protected, courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae. 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.

Salix......

Willow

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Return to Automeris Genus

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.

I am not aware of the source for the genus name Automeris, but chacona is probably for the geography of the holotype specimen from Chaco, La Paz, Bolivia.

This website is designed and maintained by Bill Oehlke