Prohylesia zikani
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 Gerais, Brazil, August 23, 2009); February 21, 2011
Updated as per personal communication with Carlos Mielke (id of Larry Valentine moth), February, 2011
Updated as per Entomo-Satsphingia Jahrgang 5 Heft 2 22.06.2012 (female: fwl: 25-27mm); May 10, 2014

Prohylesia zikani
Draudt, 1929

Male (wingspan: 39 mm), January, São Bento do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
courtesy of Eurides Furtado.

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: Prohylesia, Draudt, 1929

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DISTRIBUTION:

Prohylesia zikani (wingspan: males: 40-45mm; females: 51mm // forewing length: males: 19-23mm; females: 25-27mm) flies in
southeastern Brazil: Espirito Santo (850m), Santa Catarina (300-750m): Neu Bremen (RSL), Bahia (BM&M) Sao Paulo (850m), Minas Gerais (925m, LV/CM), Parana (CM) and (possibly Rio de Janeiro (WO?)).

Visit Prohylesia Comparison Chart.

Prohylesia zikani male, Neu Bremen, Santa Catarina, Brazil,
October 31, 1936, courtesy of Cornell University Collection, via Ryan Saint Laurent.

At first I thought the moth depicted below might be p. rosalinda, based on location of black streak in cell area, but Carlos Mielke indicates that is a very variable trait, and the moth from Itanhandu is Prohylesia zikani.

Prohylesia zikani male (zikani; CM), Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
August 23, 2009, 925m, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Prohylesia zikani male (zikani; CM), Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
August 23, 2009, 925m, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

Prohylesia zikani male (zikani; CM), Itanhandu, Minas Gerais, Brazil,
August 23, 2009, 925m, courtesy of Larry Valentine.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing from December-March.

Larval hosts are unknown.

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 from 10:00 pm until shortly after midnight.

Prohylesia zikani female, 51mm, Bahia, Brazil,
on my home computer only.

Prohylesia zikani female, Brazil,
courtesy of Ulrich Weritz.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Preohylesia zikani 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.

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