Automeris kopturae
Updated as per Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002, October 4, 2005
Updated as per personal communication with John Ciseski (larval image and foodplant), July 2007
Updated as per http://www.inbio.ac.cr/bims/k02/p05/c029/o0119/f00885.htm IB, April 2008
Updated as per personal communication with Terry Stoddard (Mount Totumas, Chiriqui, Panama, August 12, 2012): January 18, 2013

Automeris kopturae
Lemaire, 1982

Automeris kopturae male courtesy of Dan Janzen.

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:

Automeris kopturae (wingspan: males: 77-92mm; females: 96-102mm) flies in
Costa Rica: Alajuela (900m), Cartago, Heredia, Puntarenas, San Jose; and
Panama: Chiriqui (TS); usually above 1350m, up to 2100m.

Automeris kopturae male, Rio Macho, Orosi Valley, Cartago, Costa Rica,
courtesy of Philippe Brems.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing in March, June-July-August and December-January, suggesting at least three broods.

Automeris kopturae female courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Automeris kopturae female, 96mm, San Jose, Costa Rica,
on my home computer only.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

Specimens have been taken at elevations from 40m to 1385m.

Automeris kopturae male, Mount Totumas Cloud Forest, Chiriqui, Panama, possibly 1650m +.

Automeris kopturae male, Mount Totumas Cloud Forest, Chiriqui, Panama, possibly 1650m +.

Automeris kopturae male, Mount Totumas Cloud Forest, Chiriqui, Panama,
1900m, August 12, 2012, courtesy of Terry Stoddard.

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 kopturae, fifth instar on Robinia, Costa Rica.

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.

Robinia .......

Locust

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