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For those of us who also "fancy" some measure of moths
along with our butterflies; then the genus Automeris offers
plenty of nice choices which are appealing.

The genus is best known for the eyelike patches on the
hindwings and the leaflike pattern present on the forewings.
There are over 124 species so far described. Because of the
stinging nature of the larvae only a few brave souls ever try
raising any of them.

Below, I feature a mere "sampling" of the possibilities within
this wonderful genus.

Automeris beltizaruma (Ecuador)



Automeris randa (Arizona/U.S.)



Automeris illustris (Argentina)

Automeris louisiana Ferguson and Brou, 1981 Type locality: Golden Meadow, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, USA

Ferguson, Douglas C. and V. A. Brou Jr. 1981. A new species of Automeris Hubner (Saturnidae) from the Mississippi
River Delta. Jour. Lepid. Soc.

A. cecrops is another Automeris species found in Arizona -

This fascinating and curiously striking genus of giant silkworm
moths has captivated and enthralled enthusiasts since it was
first given name. In the tropics of both Central and South
America these moths have taken on a riotous profusion of
species.

Their success as a group directly correlates to 3 primary
evolutionary adaptions:

A.) Their ability (through camoflage) to blend in --- in plain sight.

B.) Flash coloration of eyespots to startle would-be-predators.

C.) Of coarse, the very "prickly" and poisonous nature of their larvae.

Having acquired several new species for my collection
this year I thought that I would share in their wonder.











Some of these pictured species are seldom offered or encountered so, they may only be acquired when older collections are parted-out or sold.

A. curvilinea is a visual stunner. Trehopr, do you know what country it's from?
I think I collected A. louisiana as a kid, but thought it was A. io. I no longer have those specimens but caught a couple of them a few years ago. Below are zephyria, randa, iris, io (all USA)

Hello 58Chevy,

My pair of A. curvilinea are out of Ecuador.

I also have another lone female which is from Peru.

I am uncertain of any other countries that it has been collected.

The Automeris genus is one of my favorites. I recently acquired quite a few specimens from an old collection.
Not all of them are A1 quality, but they are quite variable. Here are some of those specimens.
A. lauta Mexico

Pseudoautomeris luteata

A. gabriellae Peru

A. banus argentifera

A. frankae Mexico

A. boops Peru

Here are some more Automeris for viewing.

A. intertridens Costa Rica

A. inomata Ecuador

A. rotunda Costa Rica

A. rubrescens Mexico

A. meridionalis Venezuela

A. denticulata Ecuador

A. banus Mexico

A. grammivora Brazil

A. amanda Argentina

A. excreta Nicaragua

A. silkae Costa Rica

A. anikmeisterae Costa Rica

A. yungaiana Ecuador

A. diovolanda Peru

A. amoena

A. innoxia Peru

Wonderful selection chrisw !

I managed a few nice ones myself from that
old collection. I have posted some of them here
on another thread. Seems I somehow missed that
3rd and 4th photo's of specimens. I really desired
that (female) A. frankae but, I think he already
had his sights on you getting it.... Congrats !

A. jivaros Ecuador

Automeris sp. Mexico

A. moenchorum Argentina

A. harrisorum Bolivia

A. zaziboucardi Mexico

A. andicola Peru

A. umbrosa Argentina

Yeah, that A. rotunda (female) was another miss but,
I don't know how ? Definitely, saw and noted an interest
in that paratypus but, again think he had it in mind for
you.

Good thing we got there when we did because the "big
buyer" came along not long after and cleaned-out everything.