DISTRIBUTION:

The Hirpida sinjaevorum moth (wingspan: males: 56-60mm; females: mm // forewing length: males: 29-31mm; females: probably larger) flies in
Bolivia: North yungas, 100 km NE La Paz, -16.2, -67.6, 2009-11-01.
Bolivia: Cochabamba: Sierra Siberia, -17.5, -64.42, collected by Viktor Sinjaev, 2009-12-12.

Specimens have been taken at elevations of 1000-2850m.

The forewing apex is scarcely produced; the forewing cell mark is very small, and the forewing am line is slightly concave in its lower 3/4 run to the inner margin.

This species is most similar to H. pomachocasensis and H. junopascoensis. It is quite distinct from the other two Hirpida species which are known from Bolivia (H. santacruziana and H. chuquisaciana) which have much more prominent forewing apices, and am lines which are straight to slightly convex.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in January and October-November. There are probably other flight months.

Larvae possibly feed on oak species.

Hirpida sinjaevorum male, Chapare, Cochabamba, Bolivia,
courtesy of T. Decaëns & G. Lecourt; id by Bill Oehlke

Hirpida sinjaevorum male, Bolivia, courtesy of Ron Brechlin,
58-59mm, on my home computer only.

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.

Brechlin and Meister indicate that the female depicted as nigrolinea on Lemaire 2002: Plate 6: #13 is actually H. sinjaevorum, and the male, #9 is also H. sinjaevorum.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage.

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

The species name, sinjaevorum, is honourific for Viktor and Svetlana Sinjaev.

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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