Overview
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Critically Endangered |
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Interesting Facts
Common Names
Common Names in English:
Patagonia Eyed Silkmoth
Description
Family Saturniidae
'The Saturniidae are members
of the Superfamily
Bombycoidea
. These species are medium to very large in size, and this family
includes the largest moths in North America. Adults
have a wingspan of 3 to 15 centimeters, relatively small heads
, and densely hairy
bodies. Larvae are usually very fleshy
, with clumps
of raised bristles
. Buck
moth and Io
moth caterpillars have sharp, stinging
hairs
. Caterpillars mostly feed
on leaves of trees
and shrubs
; some cause severe damage. Pupa develop in silken cocoons
or in the soil. This family does not contain the commercial
silkworm moth (Bombyx mori), which is not native
to North America.
'[1]
Subfamily Hemileucinae
The buck and io moths are members of the Family Saturniidae. Adults of these species have wingspans of 4.5 to 8 cm, hairy bodies, and relatively small heads . Caterpillars have sharp, stinging hairs , and feed on leaves of trees and shrubs . Some buck and io moths pupate in a well-built silken cocoon .[2]
Physical Description
Species Automeris patagoniensis
Females are larger than males. Upperside is orange to brownish orange, with an occasional yellow male; female forewing is darker than hindwing . Forewing of both sexes has faint postmedian lines ; hindwing has a small white, gray, and black eyespot. (ref. 106123)
Color:
Females are larger than males. Upperside is orange to brownish orange, with an occasional yellow male; female forewing is darker than hindwing . Forewing of both sexes has faint postmedian lines ; hindwing has a small white, gray, and black eyespot.
Size/Age/Growth
Wing span : 2 1/4 - 2 3/4 inches (5.8 - 7 cm).
Habitat
Grassy areas in oak woodlands at elevations of 4400-5100 feet.
Biome: Terrestrial
Biology
Diet
Caterpillar hosts: Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) and bluegrass (Poa species). Adult food: Adults do not feed .
Reproduction
Young caterpillars feed in groups and older caterpillars feed alone. Cocoons are spun at the base of the host plant and have a slit through which the adult can emerge .
Behavior
Flight: One brood from July-August.
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Animalia
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- animals
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
()
- (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
- Branch:
Protostomia
()
- Grobben, 1908
- Infrakingdom:
Ecdysozoa
()
- A.M.A. Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex T. Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Superphylum:
Panarthropoda
()
- Cuvier
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
()
- Latreille, 1829
- Arthropods
- Subphylum:
Mandibulata
()
- Snodgrass, 1938
- Infraphylum:
Atelocerata
()
- Heymons, 1901
- Superclass:
Panhexapoda
()
- Epiclass:
Hexapoda
()
- Class:
Insecta
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- Insects
- Subclass:
Dicondylia
()
- Infraclass:
Pterygota
()
- Cohort:
Myoglossata
()
- Order:
Lepidoptera
()
- Linnaeus, 1758
- Butterflies and Moths
- Infraorder:
Heteroneura
()
- Superfamily:
Bombycoidea
()
- Family:
Saturniidae
()
- Boisduval, 1834[1837]
- Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths
- Subfamily:
Hemileucinae
()
- Buck and Io Moths
- Genus:
Automeris
()
- Hübner, [1819]
- Specific name:
patagoniensis
- Lemaire, Smith, & Wolfe, 1992
- Scientific name: - Automeris patagoniensis Lemaire, Smith, & Wolfe, 1992
- Specific name:
patagoniensis
- Lemaire, Smith, & Wolfe, 1992
- Genus:
Automeris
(
- Subfamily:
Hemileucinae
(
- Family:
Saturniidae
(
- Superfamily:
Bombycoidea
(
- Infraorder:
Heteroneura
(
- Order:
Lepidoptera
(
- Cohort:
Myoglossata
(
- Infraclass:
Pterygota
(
- Subclass:
Dicondylia
(
- Class:
Insecta
(
- Epiclass:
Hexapoda
(
- Superclass:
Panhexapoda
(
- Infraphylum:
Atelocerata
(
- Subphylum:
Mandibulata
(
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
(
- Superphylum:
Panarthropoda
(
- Infrakingdom:
Ecdysozoa
(
- Branch:
Protostomia
(
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
Similar Species
Members of the genus Automeris
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 7 species and subspecies in this genus:
A. cecrops (Cecrops Eyed Silkmoth) · A. io (Io Moth) · A. iris (Iris Eyed Silkmoth) · A. louisiana (Louisiana Eyed Silkmoth) · A. patagoniensis (Patagonia Eyed Silkmoth) · A. randa (Randa's Eyed Silkmoth) · A. zephyria (Zephyr Eyed Silkmoth)
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
Notes
Contributors
- Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 15, 2012.
- Opler, Paul A., Harry Pavulaan, Ray E. Stanford, Michael Pogue, coordinators. Butterflies and Moths of North America. Bozeman, MT: Mountain Prairie Information Node. March 26, 2007.
- Opler, Paul A., Kelly Lotts, and Thomas Naberhaus, coordinators. 2009. Butterflies and Moths of North America. Bozeman, MT: Big Sky Institute. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/ (Version of April 17, 2009).
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2633010
- Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: IILEW0N070
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 171371
