Citheronia brissotii
si-ther-OH-nee-uhMbrihs-SOT-tee-eye
(Boisduval, 1868) Ceratocampa

Citheronia brissotii courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Ceratocampinae, Harris, 1841 was Citheroniinae: Neumoegen & Dyar, 1894 Genus: Citheronia, Hübner, 1819 Species: brissotii, (Boisduval, 1868)

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DISTRIBUTION:

Citheronia brissotii (wingspan: males: 85-102mm; females: 95-112mm) flies in
southeastern Brazil: Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Parana, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul (RSL).

Citheronia brissotii brissotii ?? male, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil,
Cornell University Collection, via Ryan Saint Laurent.

Citheronia brissotii meridionalis ?? male, smaller than male above,
Cornell University Collection, via Ryan Saint Laurent.

Reinhard Foerster of Misiones Province, Argentina, has sent a larval image that is either C. b. brissottii or C. b. meridionalis.

Uld Drechsel reports Citheronia brissottii species in southeastern Paraguay UD: Guaira, Alto Parana, Caazapa, and possibly Itapua.

Citheronia brissottii, Guaira, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

Wing venation is narrower and less contrasting than in regalis, and the forewing has an undulating submarginal line. The hindwing usually has grey spots at both ends of the postmedian line. Female above shows grey spots along the entire outer margin.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There are probably at least two Citheronia brissotii broods annually with moths on the wing in February-March and then probably again in June-July.

Larvae feed on Excoecaria biglandulosa, Juglans regia, Ligustrum and Prunus laurocerasus.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Moths eclose from subterranean pupae.

Females call in the males with an airbourne pheromone and most activity occurs in the early morning hours from 1:00 to 3:00 am.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Eggs are large and green.

Larvae are refered to as "Spiny Devils" due to long branching spines on their backs.

Pupation is underground in a small cell.

Citheronia brissottii meridionalis fifth instar, Misiones, Argentina,
courtesy of Reinhard Foerster

The image above is either C. b. brissottii or C. b. meridionalis.

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.

Amygdalus communis..... Carya illinoensis Euphorbiaceae Excoecaria biglandulosa Juglans nigra Ligustrum japonicum Prunus

Amygdalus Pecan Eye-ball tree Excoecaria Walnut Privet Cherry

Citheronia brissotii form catharina (Draudt, 1930), Brazil, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

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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.

The source of the genus name "Citheronia" is probably Mount Citheron (Greek mythology), an untamed wilderness, exempt from the laws of civilization. The goddesses go naked there and are free from any of the pressures of society.

The species name "brissottii" is honourific for a man named Brissotti or Brissott.

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