Notes on the immature stages of Almeidella corrupta (Schaus, 1913) (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae, Ceratocampinae)

Abstract

The immature stages of the wild silk moth genus Almeidella Oiticica Filho (Saturniidae: Ceratocampinae) are illustrated, along with information pertaining to the life history, including host plants in captivity and in nature, for the first time. We reared A. corrupta (Schaus) from eggs obtained from a female collected in Paraíso do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This location is the farthest west Almeidella has ever been reported in Rio Grande do Sul. An additional larva of Almeidella, preliminarily identified as A. corrupta, from Pedro Leopoldo, Minas Gerais, Brazil is figured along with its natural host plant, Anadenanthera peregrina. Both the captive host plants and the natural host plant belong to Fabaceae, a common host family for a wide range of Ceratocampinae species. General morphology is typical of Ceratocampinae, with silver, reflective scoli; we observed two color forms of the larvae: red and green.