The image directly above, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel, was sent to me without location data as Catacantha stramentalis, well before C. ecorientalis had been described. The image is a very good match for the HT of ecorientalis as depicted in ESs. It is also a very good match for nataliae from Venezuela.

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: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866 Tribe: Hemileucini, Grote & Robinson, 1866 Genus: Catacantha, Bouvier, 1930 Species: bahiginea, Brechlin & Meister, 2012

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DISTRIBUTION:

Catacantha ecorientalis (forewing length: males: 24-28mm; females: mm // wingspan: males: 48mm; females: mm) flies in
eastern Ecuador: Napo; Sucumbios; Orellana; Pastaza; Tungurahua; Zamora Chinchipe.

It has been taken in habitats with elevations from 530-1670m.

Visit Catachantha Genus Comparison Plate

FLIGHT TIMES:

There are probably at least two-three broods annually with Catacantha ecorientalis moths on the wing in February, March, May, July, November. There are probably additional flight months.

Larval hosts are unknown.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Typical of the Hemileucinae, larvae have urticating spines.

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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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 do not know the origin of the genus name Catacantha, but it may be for the downward (cata) turn of the rami and the bristles (cantha = thorn) on the rami.

I suspect the species name "ecorientalis" refers to a specimen type location in eastern Ecuador, where it is quite widespread and probably common. Surprisingly, the female is at yet undescribed.