Other Common Names
In Spanish: "Cuatro Espejos" (four mirrors)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Rothschildia lebeau (Guérin-Méneville, 1868)
Rothschildia lebeau forbesi Benjamin, 1934
(1) Explanation of Names
Rothschildia lebeau forbesi Benjamin, 1934, formerly treated as full species in the 1983 Hodges Checklist following Ferguson (1972), is returned to subspecies status by Tuskes et al. (1996) following Lemaire (1978). All other subspecies of lebeau are found south of the United States.
Identification
Very large silk moth found only in South Texas.
Transparent triangular spots on the wings. Wings reddish brown to dark brown with olive tinge.
Range
Hidalgo & Cameron Co., TX / Mex. -
Map (MPG); Fairly common, especially around Brownsville.
(2)Season
February-April, September-November (two flights in Texas)
Life Cycle
Larvae feed on several trees/shrubs, such as Ash (Fraxinus), prickly ash (Zanthoxylum), and willow (Salix).
Adults may take two or three years before emerging from the pupa.
(2)Remarks
Two other species in this genus rarely enter into s. Texas: Jorulla silkmoth (R. jorulla) and Orizaba silkmoth (R. orizaba)
R. cincta was recorded from the Brownsville area ca. 1900.
(2)
NOTE: Records for Rothschildia jorulla/cincta in s. TX are based on the same taxon (i.e. listed as R. jorulla cincta)
Print References
Tuskes, pp. 187-188, plates 24--adult, 5-larva
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