Castniomera Explained

Castniomera is a monotypic moth genus in the family Castniidae described by Constant Vincent Houlbert in 1918. Its single species, Castniomera atymnius, commonly known as the giant butterfly-moth, was first described by Johan Wilhelm Dalman in 1824.^[1] It is known from Mexico through Central America to Venezuela.

The larvae feed on Musaceae species.^[2]

Subspecies

The following subspecies are recognised:

• Castniomera atymnius atymnius (Dalman, 1824) - eastern Brazil, French Guiana, Colombia
• Castniomera atymnius drucei (Schaus, 1911) - Colombia, Costa Rica
• Castniomera atymnius ecuadorensis (Houlbert, 1917) - Ecuador
• Castniomera atymnius futilis (Walker, 1856) - Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras, Panama
• Castniomera atymnius humboldti (Boisduval, [1875]) - Colombia
• Castniomera atymnius immaculata (Lathy, 1922) - French Guiana
• Castniomera atymnius newmanni (Houlbert, 1917) - Panama to Colombia, Venezuela

Notes and References

1. Web site: Savela . Markku . Castniomera Houlbert, 1918 . Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms . August 10, 2019.
2. Web site: A synopsis of the Castniidae (Lepidoptera) of Trinidad and Tobago . PDF . 2011-12-16.