DISTRIBUTION:

Copaxa escalantei (wingspan: males: 87-112mm; females: 115-135mm) flies in
Mexico: Puebla; Chiapas (MdM);
Belize: Cayo, Stann Creek, Toledo;
Guatemala: Alta Verapaz, Zacapa, (Izabal (JM));
Honduras: Atlantida (RL), Olancho (RL), Yoro (RC) and probably Cortes (now confirmed JRC; 405m, September);
Nicaragua: Jinotega;
Costa Rica: Guanacaste (CL), Alajuela, Puntarenas, Heredia and San Jose (IB) at elevations of 100-1500m; and
Panama: Chiriqui; at moderate elevations (850-1350m).

In Mexico, it has been taken in Puebla. I suspect it would also be in Oaxaca, Chiapas and Veracruz.

Copaxa escalantei male, Mexico, Esperanza Insects, copyright protected.

Copaxa escalantei male, Mexico, Esperanza Insects, copyright protected.

Copaxa multifenestrata, 106mm, Hidalgo, Mexico, 1450m, courtesy of Kelly Price, id by Kirby Wolfe.

Copaxa escalantei male, Maravilla Tenejapa, Chiapas, Mexico,
courtesy of Mariposas de Mexico.

Possibly all of the specimens depicted on this page, except those directly above from Mexico, should be under the new designation of Copaxa australoescalantei, with C. escalantei limited to a more northerly range in Mexico and Belize. I am not sure where escalantei "transitions" to australoescalantei, but Global Mirror indicates australoescalantei from Guatemala, Nicaragua and Cost Rica. I will have to check with Kirby Wolfe, regarding origin location of his escalantei. DNA barcoding might be required to distinguish between the two species.

Copaxa escalantei male, 17 km west of La Ceiba, Atlantida, Honduras,
wingspan 108mm, February 19, 2001, elevation 100m, courtesy of Robert Lehman.

Copaxa escalantei male, 17 km west of La Ceiba, Atlantida, Honduras,
wingspan 96mm, March 17, 1997, elevation 100m, courtesy of Robert Lehman.

There are many usually discal spots on the forewings. Males are usually yellow (occasionaly dark brown from Panama and (Costa Rica (KW))); females are a uniform brown and usually have only two discal spots on the hindwings.

Visit Copaxa escalantei males (brown and yellow forms) and female, Costa Rica: San Jose: Puriscal: Santa Rosa: 540m, courtesy of Kirby Wolfe.

Visit Copaxa escalantei male (yellow form), 104mm, Las Flores, Cortes, Honduras, September 2009, 405m, courtesy of Jean Ramon Collart.

Copaxa escalantei male, 17 km west of La Ceiba, Atlantida, Honduras,
wingspan 89mm, March 17, 1997, elevation 100m, courtesy of Robert Lehman.

The veins have dark brown scales and are in sharp contrast to the rest of the wing. The dark forewing transverse line continues to the apex. The pm line tends to be weak.

Copaxa escalantei female, Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Copaxa escalantei female, Oaxaca, Mexico, July 2006, courtesy of Kelly Price.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Copaxa escalantei larvae feed upon avocado (Persea americana).

Most of the Copaxa brood continuously so I suspect escalantei would be on the wing every month of the year. Robert Lehman confirms them on the wing in Honduras in February, March, April, June, July, September, October, so there appears to be at least three broods annually. He has taken them at elevations from 100m to 1420m.

Copaxa escalantei female, copyright protected, Kirby Wolfe.

Copaxa escalantei female, Costa Rica, courtesy of Horst Kach.

I am not sure that the specimen image sent by Horst Kach is C. escalantei; it might be C. multifenestrata.

The multiple (more than two) discal spots on the hindwings is unusual.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Male Copaxa escalantei moths use highly developed antennae to locate females shortly after dark by tracking the airbourne pheromone plume. The female releases this scent into the night air via an organ extended from the tip of the abdomen.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Copaxa escalantei second instars, Costa Rica, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Copaxa escalantei third instars, Costa Rica, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Copaxa escalantei larva, copyright protected, Kirby Wolfe.

Copaxa escalantei fifth instar, Costa Rica, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Copaxa escalantei larva, Costa Rica, courtesy of Dan Janzen.

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.

Persea americana.....

Avocado

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Robert Lehman writes, May 14, 2007

"Here is the info on the Copaxa escalantei from Honduras and three pictures.

1. 3 specimens 17 km west of La Ceiba 100 m dept Atlantida
3/17/97 89 mm
3/17/97 96 mm
2/19/01 108 mm

2. 4/13/07 9 km east of La Ceiba Cangrejal River 120 m 110 mm

3. 6 specimens La Muralla National Park cloud forest 1420 m dept. Olancho
9/16/95 106 mm
9/16/95 107 mm
7/25/95 97 mm
10/14/95 104 mm
6/16/96 104 mm
6/17/96 101 mm"