DISTRIBUTION:

Automeris lapazchowskyi (wingspan: males: mm; females: mm // fwl: males: ; females: 44-46mm) flies in
La Paz: ; and possibly in
Peru: Junin?, Cusco?, Puno?;
I think the male is diurnal as the males are seldom captured at lights; the moth is probably more widespread than indicated.

The 2011 Entomo-Satsphingia journal where A. lapazchowskyi is first described shows/describes the female holotype from Nor Yungas, Bolivia, as having small white pupils in a relatively narrow forewing cell mark.

Lemaire's image of the balachowskyi female from French Guiana shows a moth with a slightly wider cell mark, devoid of the white pupil. The forewing pm of Lemaire's image shows a forewing pmline that is noticeably more concave, and shows the hindwing ocellus, more widely outlined in yellow, tangent to the undulating pm line.

I cannot say how consistent any of those features are, but on average lapazchowskyi females (fwl: 44-46mm) are slightly larger than balachowskyi females (fwl: 39-43). Otherwise the two?? species are very similar. Bill Oehlke

Automeris lapazchowskyi//balachowskyi?? male, location unknown
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Automeris lapazchowskyi female, Shima, Junin, Peru,
June 14, 2010, 700m, courtesy of Peter Bruce-Jones,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke, confirmed by Frederic Beneluz as balachowskyi before lapazchowskyi was described.

Lemaire groups hamata, balachowskyi, (lapazchowskyi), wayampi, rostralis, duchartrei, goodsoni, meridionalis, jucunda, tamsi, chacona, chacona rectilineata and rectilinea based on genitalia, with all having the yellow ring of the eyespot very narrowly surrounded with black as well as a suffusion of black scales on the inner side of the hindwing yellow postmedial band. These moths do not have ringed abdomens.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths have been taken in October in Bolivia, with specimens from Peru taken in May-June, suggesting two to three broods at least. It appears there is likely a June flight in Junin, Peru.

Larvae grew slowly in the lab on Robinia pseudoacacia.

Automeris balachowskyi female, Shima, Junin, Peru,
June 12, 2010, 700m, courtesy of Peter Bruce-Jones,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke, confirmed by Frederic Beneluz.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males (probably diurnal) use their more highly developed antennae to seek out females who release an airbourne pheromone.

John Christensen reports the following female arrived at lights at dusk.

Automeris lapazchowskyi female, Rio Shima, Junin, Peru,
mid May, 2014, 450m, arrived at dusk, courtesy of John Christensen,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

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.

Larval Food Plants

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.

Robinia pseudoacacia.......

False acacia

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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.

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.

I am not aware of the source for Automeris, but lapazchowskyi is indicative of a specimen type from La Paz, Bolivia, and a close alliance with A. balachowskyi.