Caio championi
KYE-ohMCHAM-pee-un-eye
(Druce, 1886) Arsenura

Male Caio championi moth, copyright protected, Kirby Wolfe.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily Bombycoidea Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Arsenurinae, Jordan, 1922 Tribe: Arsenurini, Jordan, 1922 Genus: Caio, Travossa and Noronha, 1968

MIDI MUSIC "Wind Beneath My Wings" copyright C. Odenkirk MIDI CITY ON.OFF <bgsound src="wings.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Caio championi (wingspan: males: 112-185mm; females: 148-190mm) flies from Mexico: Veracruz and Chiapas, Yucatan (CM) and probably Campeche, Tabasco and Quintana Roo; south through Belize: Corozol, Cayo, Toledo; Guatemala: Peten: Ixpanpajul; Chimaltenango; (probably throughout Guatemala), (Izabal (JM)); Nicaragua: Matagalpa, Managua and Rivas (probably throughout Nicaragua); Costa Rica: Puntarenas (CL), Cartago (Tapanti and Chirripo (KP)), and Alajuela, Guanacaste (dry forest only in Guanacaste; DJ), Heredia, Limon and San Jose; and Panama: Chiriqui (probably throughout Panama) to Venezuela: Zulia; and Colombia: Valle de Cauca and Choco (CL) and Antioquia, Tolima and Nariono (ARA), and probably Cauca (WO); and to northwestern Ecuador: Esmeraldas and Canar LTR. Caio championi, Guatemala, Greg Lewallen, right.

In Costa Rica it has been taken at elevations from sea level to 1520m.

Dan Janzen, 2012, indicates the specimens flying in dry forest in Guanacaste are slightly different than nominate championi, with the possibility of a new "cryptic" species present in that area.

Visit Caio championi male and female, Esmeraldas, Ecuador, February 2009, courtesy of Horst Kach.

I suspect there are populations in El Salvador and Honduras: Atlantida (confirmed by Robert Lehman); Atlantida, Cortés, Francisco Morazán, Yoro (all confirmed by Ronald D. Cave).

Caio championi male, 152mm, Honduras, courtesy of Ronald D. Cave.

Caio championi female, Chirripo, Costa Rica, courtesy of Kelly Price.

Caio championi female, Tapanti, Cartago, Costa Rica, courtesy of Kelly Price.

Caio championi (male), Peru, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

HABITAT:

This species flies in tropical rainforests, and probably not at elevations over 1300m.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Robert Lehman has taken them in La Ceiba, Atlantida, Honduras, in April and August.

Horst Kach records them as rare in western Ecuador (Esmeraldas Province), but has taken a female there (San Francisco) in September. Horst has now also taken them in Esmeraldas in February.

Larvae feed on Bombacopsis quinatum, Floss silktree (Chorisia) and Basswood (Tilia).

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males, which have short square tails, use their antennae to seek out females which scent at night.

The females lack the distinguishing tails of the males and tend more toward a pale brown colour.

Female Caio championi moth, Dan Janzen.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Larvae have white saddles in the early instars and are equipped with thoracic horns. The burgundy head is not visible in this image. Subsequent moults result in a green head and body.

There's not much to protect any larvae from small parasitic wasps, however, and this one has succombed. Larvae can easily reach lengths of 120 mm and this one got quite chunky on Bombacopsis quinatum despite the parasites.

Visit Caio championi female (recto and verso), eggs, and instars 1-5, Ecuador: Esmeraldas Province: San Francisco.

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.

Bombacopsis quinatum..... Chorisia (HK) Tilia

Bombacopsis quinatum Floss silktree Basswood/Lime/Linden

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Caio championi male, Yucatan, Mexico, Welling leg., courtesy of Carlos Mielke.

Caio championi female, Yucatan, Mexico, Welling leg., courtesy of Carlos Mielke.

Caio championi male, Costa Rica, courtesy of Carlos Mielke.

Caio championi male, La Ceiba, Atlantida, Honduras,
159mm, April 9, 1994, 100m, courtesy of Robert Lehman.

Caio championi female, Costa Rica, courtesy of Carlos Mielke.

Caio championi female, La Ceiba, Atlantida, Honduras,
177mm, August 8, 1994, 150m, courtesy of Robert Lehman.

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.

Some of the early describers/namers chose genus and species names indicating some character of the insect, but more often, they simply chose names from Greek or Roman mythology or history.

Those species names which end in "ensis" indicate a specimen locale, and those which end in "i", pronounced "eye", honour a contempory friend/collector/etc.

Caio, most often called Caligula, is one of the two heirs indicated by Tiberio in his will. Caligula was elected Emperor, ruled for a short time and fell victim to a conspiracy. He was murderd for his cruelty to the people.

The species name, championi, is honourific for the collector, Champion.

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