DISTRIBUTION:

Dirphia avia (wingspan: males: 72-99mm; females: 95-122mm // Mfwl: 41-50mm (ESs); Ffwl: ) flies in
Nicaragua: Managua; Granada; Isla de Omatepe;
Honduras (JYM);
Costa Rica: Guanacaste; Heredia; Puntarenas; Cartago (CL); Alajuela; San Jose (IB); and
Panama: Chiriqui; in Central America. ESs journal identifies Dirphia nora from Chiriqui, Panama. Perhaps nora flies at higher elevation than avia??

In South America it flies in
Suriname;
French Guiana: Saint-Jean-du-Maroni; Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni; Saul; (January-March),
Trinidad: Port of Spain;
Venezuela: Bolivar; Distrito Federal; Aragua; Merica; Miranda; Barinas; (May-June; September-November),
Colombia: Valle; Choco; Antioquia; Huila;
Ecuador: Imbabura; Sucumbios; Orellana; Pichincha; Canar; Napo; Tungurahua; Pastaza; Morona-Santiago; Zamora-Chinchipe (LR) and Loja; (perhaps in Ecuador it is replaced by Dirphia avinapoana)
Bolivia: La Paz; Cochabamba;
Paraguay: Guiara CL; (Concepcion; San Pedro; Canindeyu; Cordillera; Caaguazu; Alto Parana; Paraguari);, and (possibly Caazapa and Itapua WO?);
Peru: Amazonas (LTR); Huanuco; Pasco; Junin; Cusco; Madre de Dios; probably San Martin and Loreto and Puno; and
Brazil: Goias; Mato Grosso do Sul; Mato Grosso; Minas Gerais: Serra Da Mantiqueira; Rio de Janeiro. Dirphia triangulum flies in southeastern Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, probably southeastern Minas Gerais (LV).

Dan Janzen indicates the slightly smaller, dry forest specimens from Costa Rica are closest to Dirphia avia, while the larger, darker specimens from rain forest areas of Costa Rica are most likely Dirphia nora.

There is a form known as concolor which has a very large, dark median field.

Dirphia avia female, French Guiana,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Dirphia avia male, Isla de Omatepe, Honduras, id by Bill Oehlke.

Based on Entomo-Satsphingia Jahrgang 4 Heft 5 29.12.2011, the Dirphia avia Group (darker median sub-triangular shape, running from costa toward inner margin without striga) consists of the following species:

allae Brechlin & Meister 2011, Peru: Ayacucho; Apurimac; Cusco; Puno; Madre de Dios; Ucayali; Junin; Pasco;
avia French Guiana; Venezuela; probably Guyana and Suriname; most of Central America
avibarinasensis Brechlin & Meister 2011, Venezuela: Barinas
avichoco Brechlin & Meister 2011, Colombia: Choco
aviluisiana Brechlin & Meister 2011, Colombia: Antioquia; Cundinamarca?;
aviurica Brechlin & Meister 2011, Peru: Piura; Tumbes
avinapoana Brechlin, Meister & Kaech 2011, Ecuador: Napo; Zamora Chinchipe; Peru: Amazonas; San Martin
aviboliviana Brechlin & Meister 2011, Bolivia: La Paz; Chuquisaca; Beni; Tarija; Santa Cruz; Cochabamba;
avialtoparanensis Brechlin & Meister 2011, Paraguay: Alto Parana; Paraguari
cadioui Lemaire, 1980, Argentina; Bolivia
curitiba Draudt, 1930 Brazil
dentimaculata Schaus, 1921 Brazil; possibly Paraguay
muscosa Schaus, 1898 southeastern Brazil; northeastern Argentina
Ormiscodes hortensia Schaus, 1913, Brazil, is same as muscosa
f. sinuosa Bouvier, 1929, Brazil, is same as muscosa
f. colorata Bouvier, 1930, Brazil, is same as muscosa
nora (Druce, 1897) Panama: Chiriqui
triangulum Walker, 1855 southeastern Brazil: Santa Catarina; Rio de Janeiro; probably Sao Paulo; Minas Gerais; Parana.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are seen thorughout the entire year so the species probably broods continuously as conditions permit. Visit Dirphia avia/triangulum male and female, recto and verso, Itanhandu, southern Minas Gerais, Brazil, January 22, 2010, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Visit Dirphia avia male (recto and verso), Mount Totumas Cloud Forest Farm, courtesy of Jeffrey Dietrich. I believe the specimen depicted from Chiriqui is more likely Dirphia nora, recently resurrected from synonymity with avia.

Larvae feed upon West Indian Locust (Hymenaea courbaril) and West Indian Cedar (Cedrela odorata).

Dirphia avia female, Venezuela, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use highly developed antennae to locate females at night by tracking their airbourne pheromone plumes. In the image to the right, female curls her abdomen to deposit eggs. Image courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Dirphia avia (female) courtesy of Bernhard Jost.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

White eggs with a black micropyle are laid in large clusters and larvae feed gregariously. Photo courtesy of Bernhard Jost.

Typical of the Subfamily Hemileucinae, Dirphia species all have urticating spines.

Photo courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Avia from Ecuador courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Dirphia avia larva, copyright protected, courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

Visit Dirphia avia larva, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, January 4, 2010, 1000m, courtesy of Jason Weigner.

Visit Dirphia avia male, female, sixth instar larva, Napo Province, Ecuador, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Larva was reared on Quercus sp., from a female collected in Panama

Dirphia avia final instar, one hour south of Iquitos, Loreto, Peru,
December 7, 2010, courtesy of Sarah M., via Daniel Marlos.

Sarah writes, December 21, 2010, "Unfortunately this fellow was not on a plant or really anywhere near one. He was headed up the wall of the lodge where we were staying, I assume to start spinning as he was quite fat.

"I can give a very exacting location, however. We were on Km 52.5 of the Iquitos-Nauta road, about a hour's drive southeast of Iquitos, Peru.

"I took the photo two weeks ago today. The colors are pretty accurate in the photo; he was a bubblegum pink and about 5 inches long."

Although I (Bill Oehlke) am not certain the larva from Peru is Dirphia avia, Lemaire indicates the larvae often become purplish prior to spinning. The dark markings on the dorsum are a good match for those of avia, and the large size (probably an exaggeration at five inches) and commonality of this species strongly suggest avia. A recording in Loreto, Peru, is new, but not unexpected.

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.

Cedrela odorata Crataegus oxyacantha...... Fagus sylvatica Hymenaea courbaril Malus Prunus Quercus ilex Salix

West Indian Cedar English hawthorn European Beech West Indian Locust Apple Cherry/Plum Holly/Holm oak Willow

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