DISTRIBUTION:

Psilopygida crispula (wingspan: males: 31-43mm; females: 42-55mm) flies in
northwestern Paraguay: UD: Alto Paraguay, Boqueron, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro;
southwest Brazil: Mato Grosso; Rio Grande do Sul;
Bolivia: Chuquisaca and Cochabamba; and
Argentina: Jujuy, Salta, Gumes, Tucuman, Entre Rios and Buenos Aires; in dry forests and savannas (200 - 2700 m). Carlos Marzano has sent images and data (February 2010 and 2011) for the Argentine provinces of San Luis: Tomada; and Cardoba: Villa Amancay.

Psilopygida crispula male, Villa Amancay, Cardoba, Argentina,
February 2011, courtesy/copyright Carlos Marzano.

Psilopygida crispula male (verso), Villa Amancay, Cardoba, Argentina,
February 2011, courtesy/copyright Carlos Marzano.

Ulf Drechsel sent me the following images of Psilopygida crispula from Paraguay and indicates the species is highly variable.

Psilopygida crispula variations, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Psilopygida crispula moths are on the wing in September.

If my determinations are correct, Nigel venters reports a November flight in Calilegua, Jujuy, Argentina, at 750m.

Larvae probably feed on Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) and Acacia (Acacia farnesiana). IN Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, the following hosts are utilized: Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae, Fabaceae: Mimosoideae.

Psilopygida crispula, Alto Paraguay, courtesy of Paul Smith.

Psilopygida crispula female, Argentina,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Psilopygida crispula male, Argentina,
courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Female Psilopygida crispula moths extend a scent gland from the posterior tip of the abdomen to call in the night flying males which become active around 11:30 pm.

Psilopygida crispula female, 58mm, Calilegua, Jujuy, Argentina,
November 16, 2009, 750m, courtesy of Nigel Venters,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke, confirmed by Carlos Mielke.

Wing shape seems a pretty good match for Psilopygida, but very light colouration of thorax and forewings suggest an undescribed species or high variability. Carlos Mielke provided an image of a series of specimens, with some females showing very dark colouration, and some matching the specimen above.

Psilopygida crispula male, Calilegua, Jujuy, Argentina,
November 16, 2009, 750m, courtesy of Nigel Venters,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke, confrimed by Carlos Mielke.

If inner angle of forewing was positioned at 90 degrees from body line, wing span would be closer to 45mm.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Mature larvae descend tree trunks to pupate in underground chambers.

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.

Gleditsia triacanthos....... Acacia farnesiana

Honey locust Acacia

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The pronunciation of scientific names is troublesome for many. The "suggestion" at the top of the page is merely a suggestion. It is based on commonly accepted English pronunciation of Greek names and/or some fairly well accepted "rules" for latinized scientific names.

The suggested pronunciations, on this page and on other pages, are primarily put forward to assist those who hear with internal ears as they read.

There are many collectors from different countries whose intonations and accents would be different.

I do not know the source of the genus name "Psilopygida", but "Psilo" in Greek means bald, and "pygida" probably refers to the moths' posterior.

The species name "crispula" means little curls and probably refers to the shape of pm line as it approaches the inner margin.

Psilopygida crispula female, Claude Lemaire.