Rothschildia inca inca
rawths-CHILD-ee-uhMINK-kuhMINK-kuh
Rothschild, 1907

Rothschildia lebeau inca male courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

Rothschildia inca inca male, 130mm, San Pedro, Cuzco, Peru,
May 22, 2012, 1370m, courtesy of Jim Vargo, id by Bill Oehlke.

DISTRIBUTION:

Rothschilida inca inca (wingspan: approximately 125-140mm) occurs from
Nicaragua: Esteli, Jinotega, Matagalpa, Leon, Managua, Zelaya, Rio San Juan;
Costa Rica: Limon (CL), Guanacaste (DJ), Cartago (KP), Alajuela, Puntarenas, Heredia, San Jose (IB);
Panama (probably everywhere);
eastern Colombia: Meta, Santander and Cundinamarca (RTN);
eastern Ecuador: Sucumbios, Napo, Tungurahua, Pastaza, Morona-Santiago, Zamora Chinchipe; down along the eastern slopes of the Andes to
Peru (specimen type locality): Huanuco, Junin (VI) Puno, and probably Pasco and Cusco. It occurs at low to moderate elevation (up to 2200m) and adults display a very wide range of variation and are slightly larger than the nominate species.

Rothschildia lebeau inca, Limon, Costa Rica, 500m, courtesy of Kelly Price.

Rothschildia lebeau lebeau belongs to a group of four species: lebeau, cincta, prionia, paucidentata. All four species lack white scales on the outer margin of the hindwings. In lebeau the postmedian line is straight and only slightly dentate and irregularly waved in the area between the costa and the outer angle of the hyaline spot.

The subspecies inca is slightly larger (males: 135mm) than nominate lebeau and also has the same slender forewing. Inca tends to be very dark subspecies with a wavy, rather than crenulate, forewing postmedial line.

Brechlin & Meister recently, 2012, elevated this moth to full species status from a subspecies of Rothschildia lebeau, and they have assigned several "subspecific" names to various geographic populations.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Visit Rothschildia lebeau inca male, courtesy of Gary Saunders

Larvae will probably eat privet and cherry in captivity.

Thibaud Decaens reports them on Ligustrum vulgare and L. ovalifolium.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of the abdomen and pheromones are distributed into the night sky. Males fly into the wind and track the pheromone plume with their highly developed antennae.

Rothschildia lebeau inca female courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

Rothschildia lebeau inca, San Jose, Costa Rica,
July 27, 2009, 1150m, courtesy of Jason Weignor, id and digital repair by Bill Oehlke.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in the evening on host plant leaves in rows of three to six. Young caterpillars feed in groups while older ones are (in the wild) solitary feeders. These larvae from Horst Kach's rearings show both yellow form and green form.

Rothschildia lebeau inca first instar, courtesy of Horst Kach

Rothschildia lebeau inca second instar, courtesy of Horst Kach

First instar larvae are black with yellow rings. There are some yellow dots and dashes on the black heads. Second instar larvae are black, and the yellow rings are replaced by prominent yellow scoli. Third instar larvae show a rather dramatic color change as they are black with the orange-tipped scoli now green, with a rectangular green base, expanding toward the posterior end. Rothschildia lebeau inca, third instar, courtesy of Horst Kach.

Rothschildia lebeau inca fifth instar, courtesy of Horst Kach

Rothschildia lebeau inca larva courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

The cocoon hangs on a twig during the winter, attached by a strong silken stem.

Larval Food Plants
Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae. 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.

Ligustrum vulgare...... Ligustrum ovalifolium..... Prunus

Privet Privet Cherry

Rothschildia lebeau inca male, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel and Viktor Suter

Rothschildia lebeau inca female, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel and Viktor Suter

Rothschildia lebeau inca female, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel and Viktor Suter

Rothschildia lebeau inca fifth instar larva, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel and Viktor Suter

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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.

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

"Rothschildia" is chosen to honour one of the Rothschilds, possibly William.

The species name, lebeau, is honourific for Lebeau, and the subspecies name inca indicates a lectotype from Peru, the home of the Incas.