Automeris masti

Automeris masti
Lemaire, 1972

Automeris masti, Peru, 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:

Automeris masti (wingspan: males: 46-50mm; females: probably larger) flies in
southeastern Peru: Madre de Dios, Cusco, at low to middle elevations (400-1800m).

Automeris masti male??, 46mm, Puerto Greether, Ichilo, Santa Cruz, Bolivia,
August, 1950, 250m, Cornell University Collection, via Ryan Saint Laurent

Regarding the specimen above from Ichilo, it is similar to Automeris masti, but I think it is different based on geographic location as well as the placement of the forewing cell mark. Bill Oehlke

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in July-August and October-November-December.

Larval hosts are unknown.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

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 foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

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