DISTRIBUTION:

Automerina (Automerula) yungasletes moth (wingspan: males: 57-72mm; females: ?? 72-100mm ??) flies in
Bolivia: (La Paz: North Yungas (HT)); and in
Ecuador: Napo; at elevations from 1000-1800m.

The species name is indicative of a specimen type location: Yungas, Bolivia, and a great similarity to Automerina auletes.

A. yungasletes males are, on average, slightly larger than males of A. auletes and A. beneluzi. The female is as yet unknown, but I would also expect her to be larger than females of the aforementioned species. The forewing apex is very produced and pointed, making a strong S-shape with the rest of the forewing outer margin.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths have been taken in October-November. There are probably additional flight months.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of their abdomens to "call" the males. Males use their antennae to hone in on the airbourne pheromone.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

The following descriptions are for Automerina auletes. I suspect eggs, larvae and pupae of Automerina yungasletes would be very similar.

Brown eggs, which incubate for up to seventeeen days, yield completely yellow first instar larvae. The scoli become pale orange for second and third instars. The fourth and fifth instars are almond coloured while only the sixth and final (seventh) instar larvae show the blue-green colouration evidenced below.

Larvae have a very dense cover of urticating spines and are gregarious in their habits. There are at least six instars, with seven observed at high altitude in Brazil. Larvae attain lengths of 55mm and can take up to fifty-five days for development.

Kirby has successfully reared Automerina auletes on Malosma (=Rhus) laurina, so that might also work for yngasletes.

Larvae probably pupate in a very flimsy cocoon spun amongst leaf litter. Host plant appears to be one of the sumac species. Eurides Furtado has documented Protium heptaphyllum as an acceptable host in Mato Grosso and writes, "The natural host plant is an unidentified Myrtaceae, genus Eugena or Myrcia." I am not sure if this is a reference to auletes, bahiletes or yungasletes. The latter two species were undescribed at the time that Eurides sent me this information.

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.

Eugena Malosma (=Rhus) laurina ........ Myrcia Protium heptaphyllum

Eugena Laurel Sumac Myrcia Incense Tree

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