Despite the absence of a forewing am line, the above specimen belongs in the Periga galbimaculata subgroup, based on the bulbous nature of the inward extension on the hindwing anal angle. The reddish-orange ground colour, the very large yellow markings on the forewing and hindwing submarginal areas, and the slightly convex curve of the hindwing pm band are all suggestive of galbialtocuscensis. Other closely related members of this subgroup are darker (orangey-brown) in colour, with smaller yellow markings, and most are with less rounded forewing apices.

The forweing outer margin, almost straight, is a better match for Periga galbicentralis rather than for P. galbialtocuscensis which is depicted in the Entomo-Satsphingia Journal with a more convex outer margin.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866 Tribe: Hemileucinae, Grote & Robinson, 1866 Genus: Periga, Walker, 1955

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DISTRIBUTION:

Periga galbialtocuscensis (wingspan: males: 64mm; females: larger // forewing length: males: 32-33mm; females: mm) flies in
Peru: Cusco: Nueva Virgen; at elevations of 2500m.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing in November-December. There may be additional flight months. Larval hosts are unknown.

Periga galbialtocuscensis female, Cusco, Peru,
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 detect 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.

Periga galbialtocuscensis larvae are probably 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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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.

Some of the early describers/namers chose genus and species names indicating some character of the insect, but more often, they simply chose names from Greek or Roman mythology or history.

Those species names which end in "ensis" indicate a specimen locale, and those which end in "i", pronounced "eye", honour a contempory friend/collector/etc.

I do not know the source of the genus name "Periga" chosen by Walker in 1855.

The species name "galbialtocuscensis" is indicative of a close relationship with P. galbimaculata and a specimen type location in Peru: Cusco: Nueva Virgen at higher elevations (alto).

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