Actias gnoma mandshurica
AKT-ee-uhsMNOHM-uhMmand-shoo-RIH-kuh
(Staudinger, 1892)

Actias gnoma mandschurica male

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Saturniinae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Tribe: Saturniini, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Genus: Actias, Leach, 1815

MIDI MUSIC "Moon River" copyright C. Odenkirk MIDI CITY ON.OFF <bgsound src="moon.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Actias gnoma mandshurica (wingspan: approximately 10 cm) flies in Japan, northern China and North and South Korea and into the Russian Far East and Siberia. It also flies in India ?

Actias gnoma mandshurica, male, ex ovo, Maternal female
collected: Russia Far East, Primorye distr., Muraveyka vill., 30.7.90
courtesy of Andrey Timchenko.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

The preferred foodplants probably are Alnus japonica, Castanea crenata and Quercus acutissima.

Andre Timchenko has reared them on birch and willow.

Moths are on the wing in May-June and again in July-August, probably as two generations.

Actias gnoma mandshurica, female, ex ovo, Maternal female
collected: Russia Far East, Primorye distr., Muraveyka vill., 30.7.90
courtesy of Andrey Timchenko.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males fly in a zigzag pattern in the night sky in an effort to locate, with their highly developed antennae, the female pheromone plume.

Females have the traditional green colouration but tails are extremely long. The forewings of the female are also broader than those of the male.

Note the much narrower antennae of the female.

Actias gnoma mandshurica female.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

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.

Alnus japonica Betula Castanea crenata Quercus acutissima..... Salix

Japanese alder Birch Sweet chestnut Sawtooth oak Willow

Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page.

Return to Actias Genus

Goto Asian Pacific Saturniidae Directory

Goto Main Saturniidae Index

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.

The species name "gnoma" may be from the Greek word meaning knowledge, and could be for the "knowing eyes" of the hindwings.

The subspecies name "mandshurica" refers to Manchuria, the name given to China's three northeastern provinces.

The genus name, Actias, probably comes from the Greek Actaeon, who is the hunter who had the misfortune of being torn to pieces by his own dogs after accidentally encountering the naked goddess Artemis. To punish him, Artemis splashed water on Actaeon and turned him into a stag.