Updated as per personal communication with Ron Brechlin, as presented in Entomo-Satsphingia for Bhutan; July 20, 2009
Updated as per personal communication with Stefan Naumann (Salassa in The European Entomologist, Vol. 2, No. 3{4}, pp 93-122: Bhutan); March 19, 2010
Updated as per personal communication with Sonam Dorji (A. rubicunda, Chhukha, 2000m, September; L. diffundata, Gedu, 1200m, September; A. parasinensis, Pemagatshel, 700m, October, and Thimphu, 2400m); December 6, 2012

Saturniidae of Bhutan

Bhutan Districts

This page should be quite accurate as it has been updated based on a recent, March 2009, publication by Ronald Brechlin.

Recent image submissions by Sonam Dorji have inspired me to create the Bhutan districts map depicted above. I am hoping that, through Sonam, many larval foodplants will be discovered and many larval images will become available.

Actias parasinensis female, Pemagatshel, Bhutan,
700m, October 2012, courtesy of Sonam Dorji; also reported in Thimphu.

Actias selene female, Gedu, Chukha District, Bhutan,
September 2012, 1500m, courtesy of Sonam Dorji.

Actias selene pair, Punakha, Bhutan, courtesy of Sonam Dorji.

Actias maenas male, Samtse, southwestern Bhutan,
courtesy of Sonam Dorji.

Actias maenas western (Samtse, 1050m) and central at 650m; June
Actias parasinensis March/(April?), May/June and July/August and October (SD); 700-2400m (SD); Mendrelgang, Tsirang District (BPB);
Actias selene above 2500m; (1500m SD), western Bhutan; June-July; September (SD); Mendrelgang, Tsirang District (BPB).

Antheraea rubicunda male, Chhukha, southwestern Bhutan,
September 2012, 2000m, courtesy of Sonam Dorji.

Antheraea helferi male, Zhemgang, Bhutan,
May, 2013, 1100m, courtesy of Sonam Dorji, id by Bill Oehlke.

My determination of the moth from Zhemgang, Bhutan is based on black eyelid on hindwing ocellus, very small hyaline circles on all wings, produced and blunt forewing apex, and buff fringe inwardly lined with thin dark brown or black.

Antheraea assamenis 650 m; SE Bhutan; July; Mendrelgang, Tsirang District (BPB)
Antheraea castanea ?? possibly but not confirmed
Antheraea compta ?? possibly but not confirmed
Antherea frithi frithi 1500 m; W Bhutan; May-June
Antherea helferi helferi 1100 m; SE Bhutan: Zhemgang; May (SD), July
Antherea insularis ??
Antherea knyvetti ??
Antheraea mylitta ??
Antheraea paphia ??
Antheraea proylii ??
Antheraea roylii common at higher elevations (2500-3200 m); W Bhutan; a single female at 1500 m; May-July
Antheraea rubicunda 2000-2300-2400 m); June; September (SD)

Archaeoattacus edwardsii female, Gedu, Chukha, Bhutan,
September, 2012, 1500m, courtesy of Sonam Dorji;

Archaeoattacus edwardsii below 1800m in western Bhutan; Mendrelgang, Tsirang District (BPB); May-August

Attacus atlas below 1000m in southern Bhutan; May-September

Cricula andrei ?? possibly but not confirmed
Cricula trifenestrata June, in the southern part of C Bhutan: Zhemgang area; Mendrelgang, Tsirang District (BPB)

Saturnia (Rinaca) thibeta male, Chukha, Bhutan,
October 4, 2013, courtesy of Sonam Dorji, id by Bill Oehlke.

Saturnia (Rinaca) anna 1500-3000 m; May-June
Saturnia (Rinaca) bonita W Bhutan 2600-3000 m; April-June
Saturnia (Rinaca) cachara ?? possibly but not confirmed
Saturnia (Rinaca) grotei ?? possibly but not confirmed
Saturnia (Rinaca) lindia Kashmir, India possibly but not confirmed
Saturnia (Rinaca) pelelaensis
Saturnia (Rinaca) simla common below 1800m; October-November
Saturnia (Rinaca) thibeta common below 1800m; October-November
Saturnia (Rinaca) thibeta extensa Northeast, possibly same as nominate species??
Saturnia (Rinaca) witti western part of C Bhutan, 2500 m; late October-early November
Saturnia (Rinaca) zuleika south central, 1900m, July

Saturnia (Saturnia) cidosa possibly but not confirmed; now confirmed in Mendrelgang, Tsirang District (BPB)

Lemaireia luteopeplus possibly but not confirmed

Loepa diffunoccidentalis male, Gedu, Chukha District, Bhutan,
September 2012, 1200m, courtesy of Sonam Dorji.

Loepa bhutanensis
Loepa miranda 1400-1800 m; late September-early October
Loepa diffundata 1200-1500 m; W, C and E Bhutan; June-July; September; probably replaced in Bhutan by diffunoccidentalis
Loepa diffunoccidentalis, Brechlin, 2010; Mendrelgang, Tsirang District (BPB)
Loepa diversiocellata, now (2008) diffundata
Loepa katinka W and C Bhutan; 1500 and 2500 m; May-July
Loepa sikkima ?? probably

Neoris huttoni huttoni northern India ??

Rhodinia newara November-December

Salassa bhutanensis, Bhutan, copyright Sherub, via Sonam Dorji

Salassa belinda W and C Bhutan; May-mid July
Salassa bhutanensis June-July; W and C Bhutan; possibly a junior synonym of S. tibaliva?
Salassa hauensteini western Bhutan
Salassa iris ?? probably
Salassa lola common at 2300-3000m; W and C Bhutan; mid April-mid July
Salassa meisteri, C and possibly W Bhutan; May-June; 2320-2850m; possibly as low as 1100m
Salassa mesosa common at 2000m; SE Bhutan; May-August
Salassa pararoyi along the road Bumthang – Mongar; Trumseng La Pass, at elevations around 3600m
Salassa royi W Bhutan; late June-July
Salassa tibaliva Thangthangka, Bhutan

Samia canningi male, Gedu, Chukha District, Bhutan,
September 2012, 800m, courtesy of Sonam Dorji.

Samia canningii western Bhutan, 1500m, June; Mendrelgang, Tsirang District (BPB)


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On my home computer only: notes on Saturniidae of Bhutan by Ronald Brechlin (in English) as published in Entomo-Satsphingia 2 (1): 47 – 55 (March 2009)

The actual hardcopy editions of Entomo-Satsphingia may be purchased via the link to the left.

The European Entomologist, Vol. 2, No. 3{4}, pp 93-122, on my home computer only.