Overview
|
Threatened |
 |
 | |
 |
Interesting Facts
Common Names
Common Names in English:
Louisiana 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 louisiana
Upperside brown to light yellow-brown, and the wing margins are yellow to light brown. Hindwings are yellow-brown to orange with pink along the inner margins . Each hindwing has a large black and blue eyespot with a white dash in the middle . (ref. 106118)
Color:
Upperside brown to light yellow-brown, and the wing margins are yellow to light brown. Hindwings are yellow-brown to orange with pink along the inner margins . Each hindwing has a large black and blue eyespot with a white dash in the middle .
Size/Age/Growth
Wing span : 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 inches (6.4 - 9 cm).
Habitat
Coastal salt marshes.
Biology
Diet
Caterpillar hosts: Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and possibly others. Adult food: Adults do not feed .
Reproduction
Mating occurs in the early morning before dawn. Females lay eggs on the host plant. Young caterpillars feed in groups, and older caterpillars are solitary. Cocoons are spun in the cordgrass around several leaf blades which are gathered together about 6-12 inches above the ground .
Behavior
Flight: Three to four broods from February to early November.
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
()
- 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:
louisiana
- Ferguson & Brou 1981
- Scientific name: - Automeris louisiana Ferguson & Brou 1981
- Specific name:
louisiana
- Ferguson & Brou 1981
- Genus:
Automeris
(
- Subfamily:
Hemileucinae
(
- Family:
Saturniidae
(
- Superfamily:
Bombycoidea
(
- Infraorder:
Heteroneura
(
- Order:
Lepidoptera
(
- Cohort:
Myoglossata
(
- Infraclass:
Pterygota
(
- Subclass:
Dicondylia
(
- Epiclass:
Hexapoda
(
- Superclass:
Panhexapoda
(
- Infraphylum:
Atelocerata
(
- Subphylum:
Mandibulata
(
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
(
- Superphylum:
Panarthropoda
(
- Infrakingdom:
Ecdysozoa
(
- Branch:
Protostomia
(
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
Notes
Name Status: Accepted Name .
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.
- LepIndex: The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Release date: June 15, 2005
- 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).
- Ruggiero M., Gordon D., Bailly N., Kirk P., Nicolson D. (2011). The Catalogue of Life Taxonomic Classification, Edition 2, Part A. In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2011 Annual Checklist (Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D., eds). DVD; Species 2000: Reading, UK.
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2633009
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Lep-65964.0
- Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: IILEW0N030
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 171370
