''Eupackardia'' is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

moth genus in the family

Saturniidae Saturniidae, members of which are commonly named the saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species. The family contains some of the largest species of moths in the world. Notable members include the emperor m ...

erected by

Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell (22 August 1866 – 26 January 1948) was an American entomologist and Systematics, systematic biologist who published nearly 4,000 papers, some of them only a few lines long. Cockerell's speciality was the insect or ...

in 1912. Its only species, ''Eupackardia calleta'', the calleta silkmoth, was described by John O. Westwood in 1853. It is found in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

, as well as in the states such as;

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

, and

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...

is normally , however, some specimens have been reported to exceed 5 inches. The larvae mainly feed on ''

Fraxinus ''Fraxinus'' (), commonly called ash, is a genus of plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae, and comprises 45–65 species of usually medium-to-large trees, most of which are deciduous trees, although some Subtropics, subtropical specie ...

'' species, ''

Leucophyllum frutescens ''Leucophyllum frutescens'' is an evergreen shrub in the Scrophularia, figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, native to the U.S. state of Texas, where it is the official "State Native Shrub of Texas", and to the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Ta ...

'', ''

Sapium ''Sapium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is widespread across most of Latin America and the West Indies. Many Old World species were formerly included in the genus, but recent authors have redistributed all the O ...

biloculare'' and ''

Fouquieria splendens ''Fouquieria splendens'', commonly known as ocotillo, is a plant indigenous to the Mojave Desert, Mojave, Sonoran Desert, Sonoran, Chihuahuan Desert, Chihuahuan and Colorado Desert, Colorado deserts in the Southwestern United States (southern C ...

''.

Description

Eupackardia calleta female Beeville TX 02

The adult calleta silkmoth has a black body with a red collar and red on the back of the thorax. The wings, which normally span 8-11 centimetres, are black with conspicuous white post-median lines which happen to be wider in females. They can also have large triangular white spots on their wings however, some may not. Caterpillars or larvae are normally bright green in colour with white stripes as well as have black scoli sets (spike-like projections) with blue and orange bases, though these colours may vary. These larvae are normally very brightly coloured because they contain biogenetic chemicals that help to repel predators.

Life cycle

Adult ''E. calleta'' emerge in the evening and may be mating as early as 7:30 am the next morning. Males are diurnal while females are nocturnal. Females lay eggs starting at dusk of the same day and the eggs are deposited in clumps on surfaces of host plant leaves. Caterpillars spray a defensive secretion from their integumental glands. Young caterpillars, typically the 1st to 3rd larval stages, feed gregariously, while the older caterpillars of the 4th and 5th larval stages are usually solitary feeders. Cocoons are normally spun near the ground and in the shade and is attached to a twig by a short silken loop. Opisthograptis luteolata - pupating A - 02 - cocoon almost done

Opisthograptis luteolata - pupating A - 02 - cocoon almost done

Diet

''Eupackardia calleta'' caterpillars feed on ceniza (''

''), ash (''

''),

Mexican jumping bean Mexican jumping beans () are seed pods that have been inhabited by the larva of a small moth ('' Cydia saltitans'') and are native to Mexico. The pod is usually tan to brown. They are from the shrub '' Sebastiania pavoniana'', often also referr ...

(''

biloculare'') and ocotillo (''

''), while adults do not feed at all.

Habitat, season and distribution

''Eupackardia calleta'' ranges across southern

, and

. In the southeastern mountains of Arizona they are mostly seen from July to August. In central Arizona to Mexico they are seen from October to January, and in South Texas they are seen from September to November as well as March to April. They normally make their habitats in thorn scrubs, foothills and canyons of desert mountain ranges and dry deserts.

Threats

Predators

Raccoons, opossum and possibly other species of the order Rodentia tend to tear apart the cocoons of the calleta silkmoth. The larvae secrete a defensive chemical protection that normally wards off predators, except in the case of wasps, which tend to be unaffected by the larvae's protection.

Parasitoids

A parasitoid is an insect that completes its larval development within the body of another insect, eventually killing its host. The most common parasitoid is the wasp. Compared to other large Saturniidea, ''E. calleta'' does not appear to be attacked by many parasitoid species, however some reports have been seen.

Uses of ''Eupackardia calleta'' cocoons

The cocoons of ''Eupackardia calleta'' are often used for ankle rattles and medicinal necklaces in certain American Indian ceremonies. The Yaqui Indians in Arizona and Mexico for example, call these rattles "tenabares", or "tenevoim". They are made in pairs and worn around the ankles or on both lower legs.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar , from=Q135026 Saturniinae Monotypic moth genera Moths described in 1853 Moths of North America Moths of Central America Fauna of the Rio Grande valleys Bombycoidea genera Taxa named by Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell