DISTRIBUTION:

Periphoba porioni (wingspan: males: 80-87mm; females: 112mm) flies in
eastern Ecuador: Napo, Morona-Santiago and probably Pastaza; at elevations of 1800m to 2150m.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in April and November, suggesting at least two broods anually.

Larvae feed on Laurel sumac (Malosma laurina).

Periphoba yungasiana/porioni female, Bolivia, courtesy of Eric van Schayck,
very tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

As of 2011, the female of Periphoba yungasiana is unknown so the identification above with no data other than Bolivia is very tentative. The scalloped forewing pm line seems very different from other known females from Bolivia. It might be a female Periphoba porioni which would indicate a range extension from Ecuador into Bolivia. I will also place it on the Periphoba orioni. Bill Oehlke.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen, and the night-flying males pick up and track the airbourne pheromone plume with their well-developed antennae.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in clusters on hostplant foliage.

Periphoba perioni larvae are highly gregarious and have the urticating spines typical of larvae from the Subfamily Hemileucinae.

The long pair of posterior "spikes" and the more extensive anterior" spinage" are typical of mature Periphoba larvae.

Periphoba porioni final instar, Ecuador, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

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.

Malosma laurina......

Laurel sumac

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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 "Periphoba" chosen by Hubner in 1820.

The species name "porioni" is honourific for collector T. Porion.

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