Automeris inornata
Updated as per Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002, November 3, 2005
Updated as per personal communication with Carlos Mielke (Parana), April 2008
Updated as per personal communication with Larry Valentine (January 17, 2010, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil); January 18, 2010
Updated as per personal communication with Larry Valentine (January 26, 2011, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil); January 27, 2011
Updated as per personal communication with Larry Valentine (February 4, 2013, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil); February 5, 2013

Automeris inornata
(Walker, 1855) Hyperchiria

Automeris inornata courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Tribe: Hemileucini, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Genus: Automeris, Hubner, [1819]

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DISTRIBUTION:

The Automeris inornata moth (wingspan: males: 61-70mm; females: 69-86mm) flies in
southeastern Brazil: Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Parana (CM), Sao Paulo, Santa Catarina: Sao Bento, at elevations from 850-950m.

A very dark, only slightly preapical pm line separates a median area heavily suffused with lilac grey from a much darker brown to almost black post median area. The pm line is slightly concave and almost reaches the midpont of the inner margin. The cell marking is subrectangular, dark, and is marked with a small white dot near its center.

A. inornata lacks the white hairs at the base of the forewing.

Automeris inornata male, Sao Bento, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
August, 1974, 67mm, courtesy/copyright Kelly Price.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in January-February (LV), March, June, July, August, September and November. Automeris inornata larval hosts are unknown.

Automeris inornata male, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
January 17, 2010, courtesy/copyright Larry Valentine.

Automeris inornata female, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
January 26, 2011, courtesy/copyright Larry Valentine.

Automeris inornata female (verso), Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
January 26, 2011, courtesy/copyright Larry Valentine.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen. Males use highly developed antennae to track the airbourne pheromone to locate the females.

Automeris inornata male, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
January 17, 2010, courtesy/copyright Larry Valentine.

Visit Automeris inornata male, recto and verso, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil, February 4, 2013, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in large clusters and larvae are highly gregarious.

Urticating spines offer the Automeris inornata larvae much protection.

Automeris inornata male, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
January 17, 2010, courtesy/copyright Larry Valentine.

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.

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