DISTRIBUTION:

Scolesa hypoxantha (wingspan: males: 54mm; females: 67mm??) flies in
Argentina: Tucuman; Cordoba (FP); probably also in Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero and Catamarca;
Paraguay; and
Brazil: Mato Grosso; probably Mato Grosso do Sul; Rio Grande do Sul; at elevations around 400m.

I am not sure if the image below is a female S. hypoxantha from Montevideo, in northeastern Uruguay: Montevideo, but it could also be a pale or faded example of Scolesa nebulosa; or it could be a species as yet undescribed.

Scolesa hypoxantha/nebulosa?? female, 67mm, Montevideo, Uruguay,
Cornell University Collection, via Ryan Saint Laurent.

The digital image of the female above has had significant digital repair by Bill Oehlke. I reconstructed a broken right forewing tip and then copied and flipped the "restored" right forewing to the left side where the forewing was completely missing. I am not sure of the tracking of the diffuse pm line as it approaches the apex, but I am expecting it to be similar to that of the male.

The outer margin of the hindwings seems less convex than I would expect and the hindwing apex seems squarer than I would expect for either nebulosa or hypoxantha. The location is also well beyond the stated range for either species.

I would not be surprised if Scolesa hypoxantha also flies in southeastern Bolivia, but perhaps it gets replaced in that area by S. nebulosa.

In males, the black discal spot is distinct; forewings are narrow and rounded with or without significant sprinkling of black.

Scolesa hypoxantha male, Paraguay, courtesy of Ulf Drechsel.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Based on other members of this genus, there are probably three broods annually in February-March and then again in July and again in the fall. Fernando Penco confirms a March flight in Cordoba, Argentina. In Rio Grande do Sul a single male has been reported in October.

Larval hosts are unknown.

Scolesa hypoxantha (male; faded), Paraguay, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Scolesa hypoxantha male, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Because of the squarish anal angle of the hindwings on the following specimen, I am not sure if it is Scolesa hypoxantha or something undescribed.

Scolesa hypoxantha?? male, fwl: 35mm, Guarani, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil,
Cornell University Collection, via Ryan Saint Laurent.

I reconstructed the image above from the upper image of the following pair of males.

Scolesa ?? males, Guarani, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil,
Cornell University Collections, courtesy of Ryan Saint Laurent.

Ryan subsequently examined genitalia and confirms the males are Scolesa hypoxantha.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Moths emerge from subterrranean pupae. Females probably call from 10:30 pm until 12:30 am and then make their ovipositing flights over the next several nights.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Eggs are translucent and development can be seen through eggshells.

Newly emerged larvae are particularly well adorned with thoracic "horns".

Mature larvae leave the foodplant to pupate in subterranean chambers.

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.

I do not know the meaning of or reason for the genus name "Scolesa".

The species name "hypoxantha" is probably a combination of "hypo" meaning lower or beneath and "xantha" meaning blond or yellow. At rest, the lower, lighter postmedian area of the forewings is yellowish. Dorsally the abdomen is also light orange below a brown thorax; the ventral surface may be yellow.