SCHAUSIELLA OF THE WORLD

Schausiella santarosensis female moth courtesy of Dan Janzen.

SCHAUSIELLA BOUVIER, 1930

The Genus Schausiella belongs to the Subfamily Ceratocampinae of the Family Saturniidae. Ceratocampinae larvae are earth pupators, and males of this genus have bipectinate antennae for the basal two thirds.

The Schausiella all fly in Central and South America.

Larvae emerge with well developed thoracic spikes and thrash about when disturbed. Packaging within the egg shell must be quite efficient to allow for such magnificent development. Spines remain well developed through first four instars. In the second instar, larvae take on a burgundy hue before adopting the standard green of later instars. Feeding is at night.

Fourth instar larvae have brown heads and spines remain well-developed. Growth is rapid during fourth and fifth instars. Larvae can fully develop in about one month. The spines practically disappear in the final instar and larvae become very chunky. Head colouration has also changed. All images on this page are courtesy of Dan Janzen.

P indicates a photograph is available. The first country listed is the type locality.

Listing of Schausiella as of March 2013

P arpi (Schaus, 1892), eastern Brazil
P carabaya (W. Rothschild, 1907), southeastern Peru, eastern Ecuador, Bolivia: La Paz; ? Brazil
N cuscensis Brechlin & Meister, 2013, Peru: Cusco
P denhezorum Lemaire, 1969, western Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama
P janeira (Schaus, 1892), eastern Brazil Bahia
P longispina (W. Rothschild, 1907), southeastern Peru: Madre de Dios, eastern Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia: La Paz
vellosoi, Travassos, 1958, Brazil, Peru, is a synonym for longispina
N longispinoides Brechlin & Meister, 2013, Peru: San Martin
N maranhensis Brechlin & Meister, 2013, Brazil: Maranhao
P moinieri Lemaire, 1969, Panama, Costa Rica
P polybia, (Stoll, 1781) Suriname, F. G., Guy., Ven., Bra., Ecu.
schausi, Bouvier, 1931, French Guiana, is a synonym for polybia
N ronaldzunigi Brechlin & Meister, 2011, Costa Rica: Puntarenas
N sanjuensis Brechlin & Meister, 2011, Nicaragua: Rio San Juan
P santarosensis Lemaire,1982, Costa Rica, Nicaragua: Rio San Juan, Honduras (RL via DNA to RR)
N satipensis Brechlin & Meister, 2013, Peru: Junin
P spitzi Travassos, 1958, Brazil
P subochreata (Schaus,1904), Col., Pan., Ven., Guy., Sur., F. G., Bra., Ecu.
adocima, Dyar, 1914, Panama, is a synonym for subochreata
bipuncta, Dognin, 1923, Colombia, is a synonym for subochreata
klagesi, W. Rothschild, 1907, Surninam, is a synonym for subochreata
polybioides, Bouvier, 1927, French Guiana, is a synonym for subochreata
P toulgoeti Lemaire, 1969, Colombia
N yungasensis Brechlin & Meister, 2013, Bolivia: La Paz

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Very Distinct Species

Schausiella spitzi M: 59-76mm; F: 87-102mm M fw: uniform silvery-grey, with no am or pm line, contrasting yellow veins yellow fringe all wings hw yellow with grey apical patch M: yellow body except small spot, outlined in black, on metathorax central Brazil: Federal District; Goias; Mato Grosso

Schausiella subochreata 86-89mm; females: 110-113mm very dark reddish brown no white spot on dorsal metathorax am/pm lines faint, vestigial Colombia: Choco; Meta; ??Guaviare; Guainia; Putamayo; Caqueta; Vaupes; Amazonas Panama: Canal Zone: Cabima Venezuela: Bolivar; Monagas Guyana: Omai Suriname: Maroewym Valley; Aroewarwa Creek; Brokopondo: Brownsberg; French Guiana: Saint-Jean-du-Maroni, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, Kaw Brazil: Para; Amazonas; Bahia; Mato Grosso; Sao Paulo Ecuador: Napo Bolivia: La Paz: Nor Yungas Paraguay: Concepcion; Amambay

Schausiella ronaldzunigi M: 79mm; almost uniform dark reddish brown ground colour broadly preapical, thin, black, slightly scalloped pm line very crescentric, pale orange, contrasting cell mark body with white spot on dorsal metathorax sorry, no image available at this time; very similar in ground colour and wing shape to S. subochreata, but slightly scalloped pm line will quickly distinguish it, and mark on metathorax will confirm id Costa Rica: Puntarenas

Schausiella denhezorum M: 81-94mm; F: 115-126mm fw pm line quite pre-apical fw outer margin usually slightly concave hw solid red with thin black median line otherwise quite similar to most species below western Colombia: Valle; Choco Costa Rica: Cartago; San Jose; Alajuela; Guanacaste; Heredia; Limon Panama: Bocas del Toro

Additional Central American Species

Schausiella sanjuensis M: 89mm; 40-1100m sympatric with S. santarosensis S. sanjuensis: lighter, more beigey fw hw: less intense red DNA barcoding required Nicaragua: Rio San Juan

Schausiella santarosensis M: 72-100mmm; F: 98-130mm; 100m dark grey-brown forewing intense red hindwing Costa Rica: Guanacaste; Puntarenas Honduras: Atlantida: La Ceiba Nicaragua: Rio San Juan

Schausiella moinieri to the right is similar to Schausiella denhezorum (above) also from Costa Rica, and both have a very pre-apical fw pm line (although in moinieri the pm line consists more in a clearcut pattern change than in an actual line), but moinieri has a more rounded apex, a convex and less oblique fw outer margin The hindwing of moineri lacks the thin black median line found in denhezorum, and moinieri has a much more extensive brown apical area on the hind wing.

Schausiella moinieri M: 80-89mm; F: 110-113mm montane species Panama: Santa Clara de Chiriqui Costa Rica: Puntarenas; San Jose Colombia

South American Species

Schausiella arpi M: 70-86mm; F: 100mm strongly orange fw & hw eastern Brazil: Alagoas; Bahia; Goias; Minas Gerais: Itanhandu; Espirito Santo; Rio de Janeiro; Sao Paulo; Parana; Santa Catarina Paraguay: Concepcion; San Pedro; Canindeyu; Alto Parana; Caaguazu; La Nina possibly Guaira; Caazapa, Amambay: Itapua

Schausiella carabaya M: 81-88mm; 1100-2300m southeastern Peru: Puno; Madre de Dios; Oxapampa, Pasco; ??Ucayali eastern and western Ecuador: Napo; Esmeraldas; ??Carchi; Imbabura; Sucumbios; Orellana; Pastaza Bolivia: Cochabamba; La Paz possibly western Brazil

Schausiella maranhensis M: 68mm; Mfwl: 35-37mm; 480m Sorry, no image available Fw gc orangey Am line quite straight, perpendicular to costa, intersecting pm line at almost 90 degrees Hw gc yellowish-orange, darker reddish hairs near im Brazil: Maranhao

Schausiella janeira M: 73-84mm; F: 108-113mm yellow-orange with grey suffusions am line perpendicular to im; right-angled at turn to costa southeastern Brazil: Espirito Santo; Rio de Janeiro; Sao Paulo; Parana; Santa Catarina

Schausiella longispina M: 77-83mm; Mfwl: 40-42mm; 300-700m Peru: Puno; Madre de Dios Bolivia: La Paz very similar to S. arpi examination of genitalia or DNA barcoding might be required for positive id longispina: more Andean polypbia: more Guyano-Amazonian

Schausiella longispinoides M: 81mm; Mfwl: 41-43mm 90-1400m Both the outer margin and the pm line are noticeably convex ground colour is dark brown with orange basal and lower half marginal area Peru: San Martin; Amazonas; Loreto

Schausiella polybia M: 68-85mm; F: 105mm Suriname: Brokopondo District: Brownsberg French Guiana: Saint-Jean-du-Maroni; Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni; Kaw; Guyana: Kartabo Venezuela: Bolivar; Monagas Brazil: Amapa; Para; Amazonas Ecuador: Marona-Santiago Peru: Amazonas ??southeastern Colombia

Schausiella toulgoeti M: 78-96mm; 60-1000m similar to S. arpi western Colombia: Valle; Choco

Peru and/or Bolivia Only

Schausiella longispinoides M: 81mm; Mfwl: 41-43mm 90-1400m Both the outer margin and the pm line are noticeably convex ground colour is dark brown with orange basal and lower half marginal area Peru: San Martin; Amazonas; Loreto

Schausiella yungasensis M: 87mm; Mfwl: 45mm 1000-1800m very small orange cell mark almost uniform reddish-brown except for fleshy upper third of median area along pm line pm line slightly concave outer margin slightly convex Bolivia: La Paz

Schausiella cuscensis M: 81mm; Mfwl: 40-42males 1900-2400m averages smaller than satipensis higher elevation than satipensis hindwing inner margin relatively stragiht Peru: Cusco

Schausiella satipensis M: 88mm; Mfwl: 41-44mm 1050-2000m on average larger than cuscensis lower elevation than cuscensis hindwing inner margin convex, giving hw a fuller appearance Peru: Junin: Satipo