DISTRIBUTION:

Pseudodirphia menander (wingspan: males: 56-72mm; females: 73-85mm) flies in
Panama: Chiriqui;
Honduras: Olancho;
Nicaragua: Jinotega, Matagalpa, Chontales, Zelaya;
Costa Rica: Heredia, Cartego, San Hose, Puntarenas (CL), Alejuela, Guanacaste, Limon (IB);
Colombia: Valle del Cauca and Choco and probably Cauca and Nariono and Antioquia; and
Ecuador: Imbabura, Pichincha, Canar, Cotopaxi, Guayas and (possibly Los Rios and Bolivar (WO?)). Horst Kach confirms it in Esmeraldas.

Psedudodirphia menander male courtesy of Dan Janzen.

Pseudodirphia menander male, Ecuador,
courtesy of Eric Van Schayck.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Pseudodirphia menander broods continuously in Costa Rica with peak flights in January-February, May-June and August-September. Horst Kach reports March and November flights in Ecuador. Roger Ahlman reports a January 9, 2008 flight in Milpe, Pichincha, Ecuador, 1100m.

Pseudodirphia menander male, Lita, Ecuador, courtesy of Leroy Simon

Pseudodirphia memander male, Milpe, Pichincha, Ecuador,
January 9, 2011, courtesy of Roger Ahlman,
id and slight digital repair to left hindwing by Bill Oehlke.

Larvae feed upon Araceae, notably Garrobo.

Pseudodirphia menander male (verso), Mindo Portico, Pichincha, Ecuador,
November 2, 2004, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Pseudodirphia menander male (verso), Ecuador, courtesy of Horst Kach.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Pseudodirphia menander female courtesy of Dan Janzen.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters or rings. Larvae are gregarious and are well equipped with urticating spines. A light, single-walled cocoon is spun among leaf litter. Larval image courtesy of Dan Janzen.

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.

Garrobo......

Garrobo

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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.

Pseudodirphia was chosen as the genus name as these moths are very similar to those in the Dirphia genus.

The species name, menander, possibly refers to Menander I who was one of the rulers of the Indo-Greek Kingdom in northern India from 155 or 150 to 130 BC.

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