DISTRIBUTION:

Hyperchiria acuta (wingspan: males: 50-51mm; females: 66-74mm / forewing length: males: 25-26mm; females: 34-37mm) flies in damp equatorial woods in
northern Peru: Tumbes, San Martin, Amazonas;
Ecuador: Canar, Napo, Pastaza, Orellana: yasuni, Morona-Santiago;
Colombia: Valle;
at elevations of 400-2000m.

Hyperchiria acuta male, 55mm, Amazonas, Peru,
on my home computer only.

Hyperchiria acuta male, Ecuador,
courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

Similar specimens from central Peru are probably H. interacuta; similar specimens from Bolivia are probably H. australoacuta.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There are at least three generations annually with peak flights in January-March, May-July and October-December.

Larval hosts are unknown.

Visit the Hyperchiria plicata Group to see a comparison plate covering the eight species listed by Brechlin and Meister, 2013, as belonging to the Hyperchiria plicata Group, which has species where the iris of the hindwing ocellus is red with a relatively small white pupil, and the hindwing ground colour is beige.

Hyperchiria acuta female, 66mm, Yasuni, Orellana, Ecuador,
November 26, 1997, 350m, G. Onore.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use well-developed antennae to seek out females which scent at night. Females are active from 10:00 pm until midnight; males are active from 10:30 pm until 1:00 am.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Typical of species in the Genus Hyperchiria and the Subfamily Hemileucinae, the larvae are armed with 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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