DISTRIBUTION:

Hyperchiria guatemalensis (wingspan: males: 57-64mm; females: mm / forewing length: males: 28-29mm; females: mm) flies in
Guatemala: Alta Verapaz: 50 km N Coban, 15.4, -90.29, collected or submitted by Rudloff, 2001-07-04, 520m;
and
possibly in Honduras: Atlantida: La Ceiba, 100m; and
possibly in Belize: Cayo.

Entomo Satsphingia, Jahrgang 3, Heft 5, 18.11, 2010, indicates H. guatemalensis from submontane (520m) rain forest in Guatemala: Alta Verapaz. Only one male is depicted and data is from just two males, based on DNA barcode analysis. I have posted three males to this page from low altitude (100m) in northern Honduras that seem a very good match for the image in the afore-mentioned journal. The female is unknown.

I note the males have a produced and truncated forewing apex, but the upper half of the forewing outer margin below the hollowed out area is almost at right angles to the lower edge of the projection, before curving gently toward the anal angle. This would make them slightly different from the male depicted in the journal where the outer margin below the hollowed out area is more oblique.

I have additional males from Yoro (1500m) and Olancho (1420m) that were taken at higher elevations, more consistent with the two females of Hyperchiria jinotegaensis from Nicaragua: Jinotega (1275-1280m). The higher elevation and more oblique forewing outer margins below the projected apex has resulted in my placing of those specimens on the Hyperchira jinotegaensis page. Unfortunately, so far no males are determined for H. jinotegaensis.

I would not be surprised if at some time in the near future H. guatemalensis and H. jinotegaensis are synonymized.

Perhaps they are distinct, based on characters I have noted. Perhaps one consistently flies at higher elevation. Perhaps there are differences I have simply missed. Perhaps only DNA barcoding will distinguish them.

Hyperchiria guatemalensis, La Ceiba, Atlantida, Honduras,
63mm, April 14, 2008, 120m, courtesy of Robert Lehman, id by Bill Oehlke.

Hyperchiria guatemalensis male, 59mm, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala,
on my home computer only.

Please note: The advent of DNA barcoding has resulted in many new descriptions (approximately 200 "new" Saturniidae species, 2010; even more in 2011-2013). In many cases the "new" species are quite similar to existing species. Do not be surprised if more refined testing or revisions of "thresholds of difference" result in some synonymies or even more species/subspecies designations. Subsequent rearing may or may not indicate differences in larval appearance. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out.

Hyperchiria guatemalensis, La Ceiba, Atlantida, Honduras,
60mm, March 5, 1994, 120m, courtesy of Robert Lehman, id by Bill Oehlke.

Visit series of Hyperchiria guatemalensis or Hyperchiria jinotegaensis males from Atlantida, Olancho and Yoro, Honduras, courtesy of Robert Lehman.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been reported taken in July. There are probably additional flight months.

Hyperchiria guatemalensis larvae probably eat Berberis lauina, Cassia corymbosa, Celtis spinosa, Fagus, Ficus benjamina, Laburnum, Platanus orientalis, Quercus, Quercus ilex and Serjania.

Hyperchiria azteca or Hyperchiria guatemalensis female, Las Cuevas, Cayo, Belize,
79mm, 550m, courtesy of Art Gilbert and Norm Smith,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke?? Perhaps there is a low elevation species flying from southern Mexico and Belize through Guatemala to northern Honduras, as well higher elevation species in the same geographic range.

It might be necessary to do DNA analysis to distinguish between azteca and guatemalensis females.

Visit the Hyperchiria nausica Group to see a comparison plate covering the eleven species listed by Brechlin and Meister, 2013, as belonging to the Hyperchiria nausica Group, which has species where the iris of the hindwing ocellus is orange.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Males use well-developed antennae to seek out females which scent at night.

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 anticipated foodplants will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Berberis lauina Cassia corymbosa ....... Celtis spinosa Fagus Ficus benjamina Laburnum Platanus orientalis Quercus Quercus ilex Serjania

Barberry Autumn senna Hackberry Beech Benjamin tree Bean tree Oriental sycamore Oak Holly/Holm oak Serjania

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