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Post by 58chevy on Sept 22, 2021 8:26:31 GMT -8
Trehopr's post on Arctia caja reminded me of another spectacular N.American tiger moth. D. howardi is the largest tiger moth in N. America and is native to mountainous areas of the desert southwest, from W. TX to southeast AZ. My largest specimen has a wingspan of 100 mm, mounted in the standard way. Here's a link: bugguide.net/node/view/671670 |
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evra
Full Member
Posts: 230
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Post by evra on Sept 22, 2021 9:25:42 GMT -8
I reared a lot of them one year after collecting 3 females at lights. Like other Pericopinae their cocoon is more like a spider web which they pupate in. The interesting thing is that the pupa in the web is covered in poisonous spines and one of them stung me badly, like a Hemileuca larva. The Gnophaelas that I reared had a similar web-like cocoon, but the pupae were harmless.
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Post by 58chevy on Sept 22, 2021 10:04:03 GMT -8
Where did you collect the 3 females? Was it during monsoon season?
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evra
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Posts: 230
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Post by evra on Sept 22, 2021 10:37:14 GMT -8
In the White mountains of AZ in August. It’s a fairly common species in the Huachucas, Peloncillos, and especially the Chiricahuas. Also in the White mountains in spots. They are also in the Santa Ritas, Dragoons, and elsewhere but are rarer.
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