Archaeoattacus edwardsii
(White, 1859)
Archaeoattacus edwardsii male, Yunnan, China, June 2008, courtesy of Weiwei Zhang.
TAXONOMY:Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 |
"Asian Spring Blossoms" |
DISTRIBUTION:
Archaeoattacus edwardsii
(wingspan: males: 195-215mm; females: 165-215mm) flies in
India;
Nepal: June-August;
Bhutan: common below 1800 m in W Bhutan; May-July; and
China: Xizang (Tibet) and Yunnan provinces.
Ron Brechlin indicates he could find no difference between the specimens from the Himalayas and those from Vietnam, western Malaysia, etc.
(Brosch, U., S. Naumann, L.H. Paukstadt, U. Paukstadt, I. Tcherniak & M. Beeke (1999)). He maintains this synonymity in Entomo-Satsphingia (March, 2009).
Some maintain the subspecies Archaeoattaus edwardsii malayanus, Kurosawa and Kishida, 1985 ("1984")
as a distinct subspecies. I do not know as of this date (August 2009) if DNA barcoding has revised the status of this moth.
Based on "Evidence for the existence of three species in the genus Archaeoattacus" (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae); Nässig WA, Naumann S, Rougerie R; The Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera. 12/2010; 43(43):37-47, the species Archaeoattucus edwardsii is limited to the Himalayan regions of northern India, Nepal, Bhutan and southwestern China. In the rest of mainland Asia, specimens previously identified as as A. edwardsii are now recognized as a valid and distinct species, Archaeoattacus malayanus.
In a 2016 publication by Stefan Naumann, Rodolphe Rougerie and Wolfgang A. Nässig, a fourth Archaeoattacus species is described (Archaeoattacus vietnamensis) from southern Vietnam. Those authors maintain the Himalayan A. edwardsii as the closest relative by DNA to vietnamensis, but vietnamensis shows more contrast in wing colouration and the forewing fenestra has a more rounded appearance toward the costa in vietnamensis as compared to the darker edwardsii which has a more angular fw fenestra toward the costa. Those same authors recognize A. malayanus (full species status) and A. staudingeri as separate and distinct species.
Archaeoattacus edwardsii male, India,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.
Archaeoattacus edwardsii male, China,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.
FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:
Weiwei Zhang reports a June flight in Yunnan, China.
Archaeoattacus edwardsii female, India,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.
Archaeoattacus edwardsii female, Gedu, Chukha, Bhutan,
September, 2012, 1500m, courtesy of Sonam Dorji.
ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:
The forewing apex of both sexes is markedly produced. Females are considerably larger with "fuller" wings.
Females extend a scent gland from the posterior tip of the abdomen to call in night-flying males whose undersides are as colourful and striking as the dorsal patterns.
EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:
Eggs are relatively large, round, slightly flattened dorsally and are covered with a reddish brown glue.
Archaeoattus edwardsii, second instar on lilac, courtesy of Alex Baranowski.
Archaeoattus edwardsii, second instar on lilac, courtesy of Alex Baranowski.
Archaeoattus edwardsii, third instar on lilac, courtesy of Alex Baranowski.
Archaeoattus edwardsii, Nepal, courtesy/copyright Anatolij Kulak.
Archaeoattacus edwardsii, reared on Prunus laurocerasus, courtesy of Jaroslav Sterba.
Archaeoattacus edwardsii, reared on Prunus laurocerasus, courtesy of Jaroslav Sterba.
Archaeoattacus edwardsii, reared on Prunus laurocerasus, courtesy of Jaroslav Sterba.
Archaeoattacus edwardsii, reared on Prunus laurocerasus, courtesy of Jaroslav Sterba.
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.
Ailanthus altissima ...... |
Ailanthus
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On my home computer only: notes on Saturniidae of Bhutan by Ronald Brechlin (in English) as published in Entomo-Satsphingia 2 (1): 47 – 55 (March 2009)
The actual hardcopy editions of Entomo-Satsphingia may be purchased via the link to the left.