Saturniid moths (Lepidoptera: Bombycoidea) from an Atlantic Rain Forest fragment in southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Abstract The light-attracted silk moths (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) of the Boraceia Biological Station in the municipality of Salesópolis, state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil have been sampled over more than seven decades (1942-2013). A total of 6,288 individuals (including a gynandromorph) belonging to five subfamilies, 46 genera and 133 species were identified. Hemileucinae was the most abundant and speciesrich subfamily, followed by Ceratocampinae, Arsenurinae, Saturniinae, and Oxyteninae. Hylesia Hübner, Automeris Hübner, and Dirphiopsis Bouvier (Hemileucinae) were the dominant genera in abundance and species richness. Only Automeris illustris (Walker), Gamelia remissoides Lemaire, and Hidripa paranensis (Bouvier) (Hemileucinae) were recorded in all months of sampling. Hylesia metapyrrha (Walker) was the most abundant saturniid species recorded at the station, with 375 specimens, followed by Hylesia oratex Dyar with 265 specimens, Dirphia muscosa Schaus with 261 specimens (all Hemileucinae); Copaxa canella Walker (Saturniinae) with 232 specimens, and Lonomia cf. obliqua Walker (Hemileucinae) with 106 specimens. Fifteen additional species were each represented by more than 100 specimens. The importance of the Boraceia Biological Station to the maintenance of the saturniid moth diversity in the Atlantic Forest is discussed.

Keywords

• conservation
• inventory
• neotropical
• phenology
• research promotion
• silk moths