DISTRIBUTION:

Automeris suteri (wingspan: males: 50-56mm; females: 64-70mm // forewing length: males: 26-29mm; females: 33-36mm) flies in
Peru: Pasco: Oxapampa: La Suiza, at elevations of 2500m.

Brechlin & Meister indicate the specimens (5 and 6 on Plate 63) depicted as A. grammodes in Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002 are actually A. grammoboliviana. On that same plate Item 7 is probably peggyae, and Item 8 is A. heppneri. I also suspect that Item 4 from western Canar, Ecuador, is A. unifasciatus, and Item 3 from Huanuco, Peru, might be grammodes, grammocuscoensis or grammocajamarcensis.

Visit Automeris grammodes Group Comparison Plate to see thumbnails of available species from the Automeris grammodes Group, with notes to hopefully help determine species.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken by Bernhard Wenczel and Jose Boettger in April and May with males coming to lights between 6:15 pm and 6:30 pm. Females arrived later (10:00 pm until 11:30 pm) but did not settle. Moths fly above the tree line so larvae probaby feed on grasses or related plants.

Automeris suteri (male), courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

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 suteri female, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are probably 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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Return to Automeris Genus

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 suteri is honourific for Viktor Suter (Switzerland), a friend of Bernhard Wenczel who helps greatly with rearing and photographing Saturniidae.

Automeris grammodes Group: Comparison Chart; North to South; West; East species wingspan M; F elevation unifasciatus ?; ? 500m ? grammopiurensis 50-54mm; ? 1100m heppneri 56-68mm; 78mm 175-800m grammodes 57-62mm; 61-77mm grammocajamarcensis 48-49mm; ? 2100m peggyae 52-58mm; 62mm 1700-3000m grammocuscoensis 46-51mm; 68mm 1800-1850m grammoboliviana 48-58mm; 67-71mm 1070-3000m suteri 50-56mm; 64-70mm 2500m haxairei 56-62mm; 70mm Type location extended range W Ecuador: Bolivar; Canar NW Peru: Piura Peru: Madre de Dios Ec: Napo: Misahualli lower elevations Pe: Puno: Carabaya Ecuador: Napo ?? Peru: Cajamarca: Cutervo Pe: Junin: Calabaza Pe: Pasco: Oxapampa Ecuador: Napo?? Pe: Cusco: Quilabamba; Manu Park: S. Pedro Bo.: La Paz: Unduavi; Santa Cruz: Amboro; Coch.: Sant Pedrito Peru: Pasco: La Suiza Bolivia description strong black stain around forewing ocellus hindwing ocellus relatively small fw cell mark small, almost filled with elongated white streak subparallel to costa bright brownish-orange suffusion of scales on fw hw ocellus intermediate in size, large white pupil red hairs along hw inner margin GC: yellowish-brown, muddy brown along costa three muddy brown bars through cell cell marked with central white dot ?? possible confusion with other species ?? very small species, only one specimen analyzed very bright yellow ground colour very small hindwing ocellus fw: pinkish-orange ground colour, with light suffusion of darker scales large hindwing ocellus fw ground colour: bright yellow, with light suffusion of reddish-brown scales hindwing ocellus smaller than A. grammodes Ground colour: all wings darker yellow-orange as compared to most species. hw ocellus and white pupil relatively large forewing with large white circular cell mark hw: extensive red hairs along i.m. hw: broad red band outside black median line only superficial resemblance to this group slightly preapical pml meets i.m. outside mdpoint hw ocellus relatively large, large white pupil