Actias truncatipennis
| Actias truncatipennis | |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Saturniidae |
| Genus: | Actias |
| Species: | A. truncatipennis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Actias truncatipennis (Sonthonnax, 1899)[1]
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Actias truncatipennis is also known as the Mexican Moon Moth. It is an uncommon moth of the family Saturniidae, potentially the only species of the genus that is found in Mexico. The species was first described by Léon Sonthonnax in 1899.
It resembles the Luna moth but is considerably larger, and the bottom of its forewings are more curved. Larvae appear also almost identical to A. Luna, but are presumably larger.
Additionally, similar to A. Luna, this species has seasonal forms with slightly varying appearance, implying multiple yearly generations.[2] This is shown in the lacking or addition of distinct red-brown edges of the wings, and longer, but more slender tails. This form with colored wing-edges may be the spring form.[3]
Host plants
Sweetgum (Liquidambar Stiraciflua),[4] and a species of Walnut[5][3] are used as food for larvae in the wild, in Mexico.
Development and habitat
Larvae and adults are found between March to October in the wild.[4] After this time, winter is spent in diapause in the pupal stage.[3]
Development is divided into 5 instars, meaning the larvae shed their skins 4 times, excluding hatching from the egg. This takes remarkably little time, with some reared examples of the species only taking 18 days from hatching to spinning cocoon. Granted, these individuals were reduced in size. Development was possibly sped up due to extreme heat. The cocoon hatch time is typical, with some examples taking around 27 days.[3]
Habitat is concentrated around the higher elevation, cloud forested regions in the south-east of Mexico, in the states of:
- Hidalgo
- Puebla
- Veracruz
- Querétaro
- San Luis Potosí
- Tlaxcala
- Estado de México
- Possibly parts of Morelos and northern Oaxaca[6]
Their population in the wild seems rather stable, although their range is slowly being threatened by logging.[2]
Just as with A. Luna, A. Truncatipennis is able to hybridize with other species of the Genus, and even with Graellsia. This is due to these two's shared evolution on the American continent,[2] and migration there via the Bering Ice Bridge.[7]
Usage
It is reportedly used as a food source for locals of the Sierra Tarahumara and Chihuahua regions in Mexico. Here, the larvae are consumed, and are traditionally called Gusano Gordo or Papalotli.[8]
References
- ^ Savela, Markku. "Actias truncatipennis (Sonthonnax, 1899)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Cladistic analysis of moon moths using morphology, molecules, and behaviour" (PDF).
- ^ a b c d "Zucht von Actias truncatipennis 1932 bis 1935" (PDF).
- ^ a b BEUTELSPACHER, CARLOS (1978). "FAMILIAS SPHINGIDAE Y SATURNIIDAE (LEPIDOPTERA) DE LAS MINAS, VERACRUZ, MÉXICO". Anales del Instituto de Biología, UNAM, Serie Zoología, Vol. 38-75. 49 (1): 219–229.
- ^ "Foodplants of World Saturniidae" (PDF).
- ^ "Polilla Luna Mexicana".
- ^ Rubin, J. J.; Campbell, C. J.; Carvalho, A. P.; St Laurent, R. A.; Crespo, G. I.; Pierson, T. L.; Guralnick, R.; Kawahara, A. Y. (2025). "Strong bat predation and weak environmental constraints predict longer moth tails". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 292 (2046) 20242824. doi:10.1098/rspb.2024.2824. PMC 12056560. PMID 40329824.
- ^ Ramos-Elorduy, J.; Moreno, J. M.; Vázquez, A. I.; Landero, I.; Oliva-Rivera, H.; Camacho, V. H. (2011). "Edible Lepidoptera in Mexico: Geographic distribution, ethnicity, economic and nutritional importance for rural people". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 7 2. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-7-2. PMC 3034662. PMID 21211040.