DISTRIBUTION:

Automeris grammodes (wingspan: males: 57-62mm; females: 61-77mm) flies in
Peru: San Martin, Huanuco, Pasco, Madre de Dios, Puno and probably Junin and Cusco; and generally from
Ecuador: Pichincha, Bolivar, Canar, Napo and Tungurahua; to
Bolivia: La Paz and Cochabamba.

A thin, dark, nearly straight transverse line, inwardly lined with bright yellow, intersects the inner margin very close to the body. The am line and the subterminal line are vestigial at best.

The cell area is usually concolorous (sometimes greyish), and it is highlighted by a small white central dot and sometimes periphery balck dots. The hindwing is uniformly orange-yellow with a smooth black band and a small eyespot. It does not show the muddly brown apex and costal areas found in A. heppneri.

This moth has been taken at elevations from 650m to 2170m.

The Holotype male is from Balsapampa, Bolivar, Azuay, Ecuador (western slopes). The Lectotype, designated by Lemaire, is from Carabaya, Puno, Peru. I am not sure if the Lectotype would still stand as valid based on recent DNA borcoding results.

Brechlin and Meister have described a number of new, very similar species in 2011. I have moved the images supplied by Thibaud Decaens to Automeris grammoboliviana file and have moved the image supplied by to Hubert Mayer to the Automeris peggyae file. I also found some beautiful images sent to me by Bernhard Wenczel. I believe they are A. peggyae and have placed them on that file.

I do not have the location for the Kirby Wolfe images of larva and adult, but based on dark forewing cell mark and darker ground colour to the forewing, I think they might also be Automeris peggyae.

A. grammodes may be more restricted in its range than indicated above. Possibly it only flies in Ecuador, being replaced by a number of similar species in western and eastern Peru and north western Bolivia; possibly it is sympatric with some or all of the more southern species.

Automeris grammodes possibly peggyae male, Andes of South America,
courtesy of Kirby Wolfe.

Automeris grammodes male, Wild Sumaco, Napo, Ecuador,
January 18, 2012, courtesy of Pia Oberg.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Bernhard Wenczel reports he has reared them successfully on bamboo, Phyllostachis species.

Kirby Wolfe reports success with Phyllostachys nigra.

Automeris grammodes male, Wild Sumaco, Napo, Ecuador,
January 15, 2012, courtesy of Pia Oberg.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males, smaller than females, use their more highly developed antennae to seek out females who release an airbourne pheromone into the night sky.

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 grammodes possibly peggyae larva, Andes of South America,
courtesy of Kirby Wolfe.

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.

Phyllostachis Phyllostachys nigra.......

Bamboo Black bamboo

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