DISTRIBUTION:

Eacles ducalis (wingspan: males: 99-117mm; females: 118-133mm // forewing length: males: 53-54mm; females: 65mm) flies in
southeastern Brazil: Espirito Santo, Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Parana, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Minas Gerais.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

In Brazil, Eacles ducalis moths are on the wing in January-March and July-October.

Larvae feed on Ligustrum, Juglans, Fagus and Quercus. They have also been reported on plants in the Malvaceae and Melastomataceae familes. Thibaud Decaens reports success rearing this species on Eucalyptus.

In Rio Grande do Sul they are known to feed upon plants in the following families: Anacardiaceae, Fagaceae, Juglandaceae, Loranthaceae, Malvaceae, Melastomataceae, Oleaceae, Poaceae.

Eacles ducalis female, Santa Catarina, southeastern Brazil,
reared on Eucalyptus, courtesy/copyright Thibaud Decaens.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females (yellow or dark orange) have ciliate antennae and extend a scent gland, emitting pheromone, from the tip of the abdomen at night. Males (right) fly in a zigzag pattern into the wind and use their more highly developed antennae (quadripectinate for basal two-thirds) to track the pheromone. The pair remains coupled until the following evening. Upon separation, the females begin their ovipositing flights.

Eacles ducalis female courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE: Yellow, translucent eggs are deposited singly or in small clusters of up to six. The larvae become visible through the egg shells a day or so before emerging. Eacles ducalis first or second instar larvae courtesy of Dominique Adès. copyright

Eacles ducalis third instar larva (green form) courtesy of Dominique Adès. copyright

Eacles ducalis third instar larva (black form) courtesy of Dominique Adès. copyright

Eacles ducalis final instar larva courtesy of Dominique Adès. copyright

Eacles ducalis fifth instar, Santa Catarina, southeastern Brazil,
reared on Eucalyptus, courtesy/copyright Thibaud Decaens.

Eacles ducalis fifth instars, Santa Catarina, southeastern Brazil,
reared on Eucalyptus, courtesy/copyright Thibaud Decaens.

Eacles ducalis gynandromorph, Santa Catarina, southeastern Brazil,
reared on Eucalyptus, courtesy/copyright Thibaud Decaens.

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.

Eucalyptus (TD) Fagus Juglans Ligustrum ........ Quercus

Eucalyptus Beech Walnut Privet Oak

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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.

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.

I do not know the source of the genus name "Eacles", but it may be a combination of "Ea", the Greek word for gods and goddesses and the Greek suffix "cles", meaning 'glory of'.

The species name "ducalis" is probably ?? for the two circular gold spots on the thorax, suggesting gold coins, sometimes valued in 'ducals'.