Actias sinensis subaurea
AKT-ee-usMsigh-NEN-sihsMsub-AWE-ree-uh
Kishida, 1993

Actias sinensis subaurea 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>

Actias sinensis subaurea, Taiwan, male, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

DISTRIBUTION:

Actias sinensis subaurea (wingspan 90-110 mm) flies in
Taiwan: Yangmingshan National Park; and in
southern mainland China.

Ron Brechlin, 2009, in his description of new species Actias parasinensis, indicates no difference between nominate sinensis and subspecies heterogyna Since heterogyna is a synonym of sinensis, the moth previously known as Actias heterogyna subaurea should be Actias sinensis subaurea.

Visit beautiful series of images of Actias sinensis subaurea, male, recto-verso, eyespot, head, Taiwan, courtesy of Yeray Monasterio Leon.

Actias sinensis subaurea Taiwan, courtesy of Insect-Sales

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

The preferred foodplant is unknown, but Uwe Kauz reports success with Liquidambar.

Actias sinensis subaurea fifth instar, reared on liquidambar,
Wushe = Jenai, Nantou County, Taiwan, courtesy of Uwe Kauz.

Actias sinensis subaurea female, reared on liquidambar,
Wushe = Jenai, Nantou County, Taiwan, courtesy of Uwe Kauz.

Actias sinensis subaurea female

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females exude a pheromone into the night sky via a gland at the tip of the abdomen. Males fly into the wind and track the scent plume with their well developed antennae.

Actias sinensis subaurea, Taiwan, female, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Actias sinensis subaurea female, Fushan, Wulai, Taipei, Taiwan,
May 21, 2008, 600m, courtesy of Bettaman.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Actias sinensis subaurea larva.

Visit beautiful series of images of Actias sinensis subaurea, larvae, Taiwan, courtesy of Yeray Monasterio Leon.

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.

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.

"Heterogyna" probably comes from the strong differences in colouration between the sexes. The subspecies name "subaurea" probably refers to the pale yellow colouration of the male.

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. There is an Asian species named Actias artemis.

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