DISTRIBUTION:

The Hylesiopsis festiva moth flies in
Colombia: Boyaca, Meta (400-800m), (possibly Caqueta and Putamayo (WO??));
Bolivia: Cochabamba;
French Guiana;
Suriname: Litani, Itany;
Peru: Loreto, Cusco, Madre de Dios; and
Ecuador: Orellana and Napo: Coca, (possibly Sucumbios (WO??)); in andean forests (from 300m - 2000m).

Hylesiopsis festiva, Seitz.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Horst Kach reports an August, 1986 flight in Coca, Napo, Ecuador.

Larval hosts are unknown.

This species probably broods continuously on a three-four month cycle. Specimens have been taken January-February, August and October-December.

Hylesiopsis festiva female, Coca, Napo, Ecuador,
August 1986, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Hylesiopsis festiva female (verso), Coca, Napo, Ecuador,
August 1986, courtesy of Horst Kach.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are probably deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage.

Hylesiopsis festiva larvae are highly gregarious and have the urticating spines typical of larvae from the Subfamily Hemileucinae.

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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