DISTRIBUTION:

Aglia ingens (forewing length: males: 47-53mm; females: 57mm) flies in
China: Sichuan, Gongga Shan; at elevations from 2600-3200m.

This is a large species (hence name) relative to other Aglia species.

Brechlin & Meister, 2015, mention Aglia ingens as a junior subjective synonym of Aglia homora.

Naumann, Brosch & Nässig, 2003, described ingens from material supplied from Gongga Shan, Sichuan, China, and their description mentions significant differences in genitalia between ingens and homora. I favour continuing to recognize ingens as a valid species. It is possible that one or more of the paratypes put forward by Naumann, Brosch & Nässig, 2003 and examined by Brechlin & Meister, 2015, is in fact homora, but possibly the other types, including other paratypes are of a valid species, Aglia ingens.

Remarkably the new species name, Aglia vanschaycki, Brechlin & Meister, 2015, from Guizhou, is very similar in size and colouration compared to Aglia ingens, but it does maintain a noticeable forewing dorsal cell ocellus, present in homora but absent in ingens. There may be more variation in physical appearance within species than between species when it comes to the names homora, ingens and vanschaycki.

Naumann et. al. indicate that ingens is a reddish species compared to the more ochreous to greyer homora, and that ingens shows no pattern of a forewing ocellus on the dorsal surface, while a black with white-pupilled ocellus is clear on the dorsal forewing of some but not all homora.

There is no dark ocellus on the hindwing ventral surface of female ingens, just on the dorsal hindwing surface. It will be interesting to see what further study reveals about this group!

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This species probably flies from March until June depending upon location and spring temperatures. The males depicted on this page were taken in June at high elevation (3200m).

The preferred foodplant is probably birch, but this species likely also accepts beech, lime, oak, sycamore and walnut.

Aglia ingens/homora?? female, courtesy of Daniel Herbin

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING: Pairing probably takes place at night as both genders have been taken at lights, and females deposit their eggs under the cover of darkness. Males have large bipectinate antennae while females have almost filiform ones. Aglia ingens male, Sichuan, Gongga Shan, China, May, courtesy of Victor Sinyaev, copyright

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the anticipated foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Acer pseudoplatanux Alnus cremastogyne Alnus japonica Betula alba Betula pendula Betula platyphylla Carpinus betulus Castanea crenata Corylus avellana Corylus heterophylla Fagus crenata Fagus longipetiolata...... Fagus sylvatica Ilex verticilata Juglans regia Platanus Pyrus communis Pyrus malus Quercus dentata Quercus robar Quercus serrata Salix capraea Tilia

Sycamore maple alder Japanese alder White birch Silver birch Japanese white birch European hornbeam Japanese chestnut European hazel Hazel Japanese beech Beech European beech Black alder English walnut Sycamore Pear Apple Daimyo oak English oak Konara oak Sallow/Goat willow Basswood/Lime/linden

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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.

Often names were chosen without any direct link to the characters of the genus or species.

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.

In Greek mythology, Aglia is one of the Graces and is the wife of Hypnos. Also known as Pasithea, Aglia is the mother of Morpheus.

The species name, ingens, is Latin for huge. This is a very large moth relative to other Aglia species.