Automerina cypria
Updated as per "An update checklist for the Saturniidae of Ecuador. Part II: .... " in
SHILAP Revta. lepid 34 (135), 2006: 197-211 L. & T. Racheli, September 2007
Updated as per personal communication with Nigel Venters (San Salvadore de Jujuy, Argentina, November 17, 2009); December 3, 2010

Automerina cypria
(Gmelin, 1790) (Phalaena)

Automerina cypria pair from Beni, Bolivia, T. Decaƫns & G. Lecourt.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family Saturniidae Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Tribe: Hemileucini, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Genus: Automerina, Michener, 1949

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DISTRIBUTION:

Automerina cypria (forewing length: males: 20-23mm; females: 28-35mm; wingspan: males: 39-47mm; females: 56-73mm) flies in
eastern Ecuador: Sucumbios: Lumbaqui, Lago Agrio, Napo: Cosanga, Misahualli, Satzayacu, Pastaza: Macas, and Morona Santiago: Rio Pumayacu; and throughout the tropical rain forests in the Amazon region:
French Guiana: Cayenne, Roura, Kourou, Saint-Jean-du-Maroni, Saul;
Surinam,
Guyana: Kartabo;
Venzuela: Territorio Delta Amacuro, Bolivar;
Peru: Loreto, Huanuco, Cusco, Madre de Dios;
Bolivia: Beni, La Paz, Chuquisaca;
Brazil: Para, Amazonas, (probably Roraima (WO?));
Brazil: Para: Pacaja: Pacaja-BPC308, -4.805, -49.369, collected by T. Decaens, 2008-06-01 (Mirror);
and Argentina: Tucuman and Salta and probably Jujuy.

Automerina cypria male, Ecuador, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

So far it has been recorded at elevations from 150 to 1800m.

The male's forewing has a slightly produced apex with a diffuse black subapical patch and black fringe on the upper two-thirds of a slightly convex outer margin. There are often numerous small back dots along the veins. Ground colour ranges from light grey to orangey-beige. The am line is dark and quite irregular while the broadly preapical, dark grey pm line is weak, especially near apex and is outwardly traced with paler scaling. A diffuse, broad, darker band runs from the costa to the inner margin just outside the lighter, oval shaped discal mark.

The hindwing eyespot has a small white dot in the upper portion of an orange iris, ringed in black.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This species seems to brood continuously. Nigel venters confirms a November flight in Jujuy, Argentina. A June flight is confirmed in Brazil.

Larvae feed on Theobroma cacao.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Larvae have urticating spines and are gregarious in their habits. Scoli are probably arranged as short, dense rosettes.

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.


Theobroma cacao.......

Cocao

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