DISTRIBUTION:

Hirpida cuscolinea (wingspan: males: 56-66mm; females: probably larger // forewing length: males: 29-34mm; females: probably larger) flies in
Peru: Cusco: Nueva Virgin, 2005-12-01.

Specimens have been taken at elevations of approximately 2500m.

This species is extremely similar to H. nigrolinea.

Hirpida nigrolinea male, Cosanga, Napo, Ecuador,
April 2005, courtesy of Horst Kach, tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

The specimen from Cosanga, Napo, Ecuador, courtesy of Horst Kach, is very similar to H. cuscolinea from Cusco, Peru, and also to H. olgae from Merida, Venezueala. I am going to place in on both of those pages as well.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens are on the wing in November-December. There are probably other flight months.

Larvae possibly feed on oak species.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen, and the night-flying males pickup and track the airbourne pheromone plume with their well-developed antennae.

Females are likely most active right after dusk. The male, above, was taken early in the evening.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage.

Hirpida cuscolinea larvae are highly gregarious and have the urticating spines typical of larvae from the Subfamily Hemileucinae.

The species name, cuscolinea, is indicative of great similarity to H. nigrolinea, and a specimen type locale in Cusco, Peru.

Larval Food Plants

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the anticipated ?? foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Quercus.......

Oak

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