DISTRIBUTION:

According to Lemaire (2002), Automeris orestes (wingspan: males: 60-76mm; females: 78-98mm) flies in tropical rain forests at elevations of (160 - 650 m) in
French Guiana: Saint Georges de l'Oyapok, Camopi, Alikoto, Kaw, Roura, Cayenne, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, Saint-Jean-du-Maroni, Saul, Riviere Grand Inini;
French Guiana: Nouragues: Heliport - Drop Zone, 4.088, -52.681, MAS. Smith & R. Rougerie, 2011-01-28 (Mirror);
French Guiana: Nouragues: Forest border, 4.088, -52.681, MAS. Smith & R. Rougerie, 2011-01-31 (Mirror);
Suriname;
Venezuela: Bolivar;
Ecuador: Napo and Tungurahua;
Peru: Loreto, Huanuco, Madre de Dios;
Brazil: Amazonas, Para; and
Bolivia: Beni at low elevations. I suspect it also flies in southern Guyana, although I have no confirmed reports. Now (February 28, 2011) confirmed by James Broscombe (possibly A. serpina).

Based on DNA barcoding analysis results (2010-2011), the Automeris orestes group now consists of three species:
Automeris orestes, (Boisduval, 1875), French Guiana, Suriname (possibly just northern);
Automeris occidentorestes, Brechlin and Meister, 2011, eastern Ecuador: Pastaza: Santa Clara (HT); Succumbios; Napo; and in Peru: Amazonas;
Automeris serpina, Butler, 1878, Brazil: Amazonas: Canuma: Ilha de Serpa; Roraima; Para; possibly also in French Guiana: Kaw?? Roura??.

I am not sure if any of the species are sympatric. Previous to DNA barcoding, Lemaire, in his 2002 publication, lists serpina as a synonym of orestes, and he had also recognized the Venezuelan, Ecuadorian and Peruvian populations as orestes.

Automeris orestes is distinguished by a fairly broad, diffuse band of darker scales immediately inside the thin, dark pm line. The thin tracing of yellow-tan scales on facing sides of am and pm lines seems greatly reduced or obsolete. The am line is less irregular than found on the other two species in this group and it seems to meet the inner margin closer to the body. The interior of the forewing cell is dark. The long hairs in the hindwing basal area and along the inner margin are reddish. The hindwing anal angle is elongated.

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The forewing apex of Automeris occidentorestes is produced and pointed, more so than in the other two species in the group. An almost uniform grey-tan colour (less brown than in other two species) covers the abdomen, forewing basal, median and subterminal areas, and the hindwing basal and inner margin areas. The terminal area is lighter in colour. The very broadly preapical, concave pm line is thin and dark and is inwardly traced by a thin line of light tan scales. The hindwing basal area is usually devoid of the much more reddish hairs along the inner margin, as found in both Automeris orestes and Automeris serpina.

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Automeris serpina is lighter in colour than either of the other two species, the forewing apex is scarcely produced, not pointed, and the hindwing basal and inner margin areas are cloaked with reddish hairs. The forewing am line is irregular as in occidentorestes. The forewing cell seems to have a thin black streak in its center.

Automeris orestes (more likely A. serpina) male, Guyana,
courtesy of James Broscombe, via Winston Plowes.

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The forewing pm line is thin, strongly preapical, concave and inwardly lined with yellow. There is a general darkening near the forewing apex on a wing that is otherwise very uniform in its colour, except for the darker cell area, which is often accented with dark spots or even a dark outline. The am line is very irregular and faint.

The thorax is black and there are some darker regions on the dorsal surface of the grey-brown abdomen.

The hindwing pupil is medium-sized with a white streak and some speckling. The inner margin is dark with a violet cast in fresh specimens. The pm line is black and fairly smooth. The submarginal band is wide, smooth and dark grey-brown

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken January-February-March-April, June, August and November-December in French Guiana; May-June-July and November-December in Peru.

Larval hosts are unknown.

Automeris orestes female, French Guiana,
courtesy of Frederic Beneluz.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

Automeris orestes (more likely A. occidentorestes) male, Beni (Bolivia), T. Decaens & G. Lecourt

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.

Automeris orestes/serpina male, French Guiana.
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Automeris orestes/occidentorestes/serpina male, Venezuela.
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

I do not know if any of the Automeris orestes Group species (orestes HT French Guiana; serpina HT northwestern Brazil; occidentorestes HT Ecuador) are sympatric. Nor do I know if the diffuse dark band, lining the interior of the forewing pm line, on the orestes specimen, depicted in Entomo Satsphingia journal, is a consistent character of that species. I suspect it may not be. It may be a while before I have much information regarding more specific ranges for the three species. I am also not sure if the reddish hairs on the hindwing tend to become less vibrant red, more toward a dull red brown as the specimens age.

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Orestes Group Comparisons