Automeris cinctistriga
(Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874) Hyperchiria

Automeris cinctistriga male, Colombia,
courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

Automeris cinctistriga male, Nor Yungas, Bolivia, T. Decaëns & G. Lecourt.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866 Tribe: Hemileucini, Grote & Robinson, 1866 Genus: Automeris, Hubner, [1819]

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DISTRIBUTION:

Automeris cinctistriga (wingspan: males: 67-82mm; females: 72-94mm // forewing length: males: 36-44mm; females: ) flies in tropical rain forests from sea Level - 1500 m in
Colombia: Cundinamarca;
Bolivia: La Paz (TD);
and throughout Amazonia:
Brazil: Alagoas, Amazonas, Goias, Mato Grosso;
French Guiana: Cayenne, Saint-Jean-du-Maroni, St. Elie;
Guyana: Mazaruni-Potaro;
Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar;
Ecuador: Sucumbios, Orellano (TS), Napo, Morona-Santiago and possibly Pastaza; and
Peru: San Martin, Loreto, Huanuco, Junin, Cusco, Madre de Dios, Puno.

In Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002, there are indications of a Lectotype designation from Cundinamarca, Colombia, a Holotype designation from Tarapoto, Amazonas, Peru, and a Holotype designation from Burity, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Lemaire also states he has not encountered any specimens from the Andean slopes, and that it is almost impossible to separate male cinctistriga from godarti, where the two species are sympatric, without examination of genitalia.

With the advent of DNA barcoding analysis in 2008 many new Saturniidae species have been described, some of which probably replace cinctistriga on the Andean slopes of areas I have listed above. A. cinctistriga may be limited to low level Guyana-Amazon Rain Forest regions which do extend into northeastern Ecuador, northern and eastern Peru and northern Bolivia.

Automeris cinctistriga trio, Colombia,
courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

In 2011, Brechlin & Meister added a number of new species to the Subgroup 3f Automeris bilinea. Many of those new species which are extremely similar to Automeris cinctistriga are listed below:
mideloretensi: Peru: Loreto: Pucacuro; very large hindwing ocellus
midenapoensis: Ecuador: Napo: Rio Hollin
mideperuensis: Peru: Amazonas: Campos seis near Bagua; San Martin; Junin; Cusco: Vallee de Quillabamba; 850-1800m.
cuscosylviae: Peru: Cuzco: Valle de Quilabamba; Manu Park: San Pedro; Vallee de Quillabamba; Ecuador: Napo: Rio Hollin
amaloretensis: Peru: Amazonas: Bagua Chica, Montenegro; Peru: Loreto: Pucacuro.

Automeris cinctistriga/vergnei/mideperuensis trio, Bolivia,
courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

Prior to advent of DNA barcoding, Thibaud Decaens had posted the three males above as Automeris cinctistriga from Bolivia. Those determinations may be correct, but I note that the middle specimen 1) has a much larger forewing cell mark and hindwing ocellus, 2) the hindwing ocellus has an elongated triangular pupil and 3) a very thin yellow ring and a super thin black outmost ring, and 4) there is no darker scaling/hairs along the hindwing inner margin. I think there is a good chance this could be Automeris vergnei, recently removed from synonymy with duchartrei.

I also note the lower image 1) has a greyer forewing ground colour and 2) strong grey suffusions between the hindwing ocellus and the hindwing pm line. This to me is suggestive of mideperuensis, recently described in 2011.

There are so many very similar species now that it is going to be especially difficult to make determinations from photos. Sometimes elevations and precise locations can help, but in some cases there may be more variability (differences) within a species than there are differences between species. Bill Oehlke

The male A. cinctistriga is very much like the male of A. godartii in outward appearance, but the genitalia are quite different.

Having looked at all the new Automeris species described up to 2014, I cannot find a really good match for the two specimens below from Orellana, Ecuador. Most of the other images below are also very questionable as cinctistriga, but I cannot fnd a really good match for them. (Bill Oehlke)

Automeris cinctistriga ??? male, (71mm), Rio Tiputini, Yasuni, Orellana, Ecuador,
September 2000, 300m, courtesy of Terry Stoddard, id by Bill Oehlke.

Automeris cinctistriga ??? male, (73mm), Rio Tiputini, Yasuni, Orellana, Ecuador,
September 2000, 300m, courtesy of Terry Stoddard, id by Bill Oehlke.

The forewings are only very slightly produced at the apex. Ground colour is greyish-beige, becoming lighter in the terminal area. Slightly darker am and pm lines are lined with yellow on facing sides.

Visit Automeris cinctistriga, three males, January-February, Coviriali (662m) and Rio Venado (1050m), Junin, Peru, courtesy of Vladimir Izersky.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing November- December-January-February, April-May, September, suggesting at least three broods. Philippe Brems reports a February 3 flight of Automeris cinctistriga in Rio Venado Village, Satipo, Junin, Peru, 1200m.

Larval hosts remain unknown.

Automeris cinctistriga male, wingspan: 69mm, Pununo, southwestern Napo Province,
November 26, 2003, courtesy of Horst Kach, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

The tiny black pupil, (almost completely covered with white scales), of the hindwing "eyespot" helps to determine this species. The forewing tips are slightly produced, the slightly preapical pm line is slightly concave, and it and the angulate am line are lined with yellow on facing sides. The forewing discal spot is darker than surrounding areas and is often marked by even darker spots.

On the hindwing the pm line is undulate and may be single and thick or double and thin. It is lined with yellow with a broad orange-brown submarginal band.

Automeris cinctistriga male, October 30, 2003,
Misahualli, southwestern Napo Province, Ecuador, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Automeris cinctistriga male, Wildsumaco Lodge, Napo, Ecuador,
January 15, 2012, courtesy of Pia Oberg,
tentative id and slight digital repair by Bill Oehlke.

Automeris cinctistriga male, Wildsumaco Lodge, Napo, Ecuador,
January 15, 2012, courtesy of Pia Oberg,
tentative id and slight digital repair by Bill Oehlke.

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 cinctistriga female, Peru, copyright Viktor Suter
id by Frederic Beneluz.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are probably deposited in clusters of 6-40+ on hostplant twigs. Larvae have urticating spines and are gregarious, especially in the early instars.

Automeris cinctistriga or godartii (male), French Guiana,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck, id by Frederic Beneluz.

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.

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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.

I am not aware of the source for Automeris, and I am not sure of the origins or meaning of cinctistriga.