DISTRIBUTION:

Citheronia splendens splendens (wingspan: males: 99-123mm; females: 110-133mm) flies in Mexico: Jalisco, Mexico, Guerrero, Chiapas, Morelos (RSL).

Note the large white preapical spot intersecting the costa, much of which is also white.

Citheronia splendens splendens male, Cueravaca, Morelos, Mexico,
courtesy of Cornell University Collection, courtesy of Ryan Saint Laurent,
slight digital repair by Bill Oehlke.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There are probably at least two Citheronia splendens splendens broods annually with moths on the wing in February (possibly) and then again in May-June.

Larvae feed on Mangifera indica, Prunus persica, Rhus laurina, Rhus typhina and Schinus molle.

Citheronia splendens splendens female, by Claude Lemaire (on my home computer only).

Citheronia splendens splendens female, Mexico, (on my home computer only).

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:

Pupation is underground in a small cell.

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae and/or on various internet sites. 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.

Carya illinoensis.......... Gossipium thurberi Juglans nigra Mangifera indica Rhus laurina Rhus typhina Schinus molle

Pecan Arizona wild cotton Walnut Mango Laurel sumac Staghorn sumac Peppertree

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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 "splendens" is for the splendid appearance of this beautiful moth.