Pseudautomeris brasiliensis
Updated as per Lemaire's Hemileucinae 2002, February, 2008
Updated as per personal communication with Carlos Mielke (Parana), April 2008
Updated as per personal communication with Larry Valentine (Itanhandu, Minas Gerasi, Brazil, August 7, 2012): August 10, 2012

Pseudautomeris brasiliensis
(Walker, 1855) Hyperchiria

Pseudautomeris brasiliensis male, courtesy of Franz Ziereis.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Tribe: Hemileucini, Grote & Robinson, 1866
Genus: Pseudautomeris, Lemaire, 1967

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DISTRIBUTION:

Pseudautomeris brasiliensis (wingspan: males: 79-94mm; females: 84-113mm) flies in
Brazil: Goias, Minas Gerais: Itanhandu (LV), Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Santa Catarina, and Parana (CM), at elevations from 160-900m.

The elongate forewing, markedly oblique with a straight outer margin, helps to distinguish this species.

Pseudautomeris brasiliensis, male, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
August 7, 2012, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Pseudautomeris brasiliensis, male, Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
August 20, 2012, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Almost uniform orangey-beige ground colour, elongate forewing. Am and apical pm lines: thin, slightly darker than surroundings, bordered on facing sides with very narrow yellow/golden-orange. Concolorous cell marking: highlighted (sometimes very faintly) with small black dots.

Pseudautomeris brasiliensis female, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel.

Pseudautomerisbrasiliensis female, 93mm, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
Cornelll University Collection, via Ryan Saint Laurent.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This moth likely has at least two broods: December-January and July-August. Larry Valentine, if my id is correct, confirms an August flight in Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Larval hosts possibly include Bambusa, Ricinus communis and Senna bicapsularis.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen to call in the night-flying males. Most male activity occurs in the two hours before midnight.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Pseudautomeris brasiliensis larvae are similar to Automeris larvae, being gregarious and having 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.

Bambusa
Ricinus communis
Senna bicapsularis......

Bamboo
Castor bean plant
Butterfly bush/Christmas Senna/Winter Cassia

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