Antheraea larissa Westwood

Saturnia larissa Westwood, 1847, Cabinet Oriental Entomology, p. 49.

Antheraea ridlyi Moore, 1892; Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6), 9: 452

Antheraea delegata Swinhoe, 1893, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6), 12: 210.

Antheraea larissa Westwood; Allen, 1981: 115; Lampe, 1985: 11.

Diagnosis

The coloration is orange, pink and yellow, the fasciae of both wings highly crenulate.

The forewing ocellus has a diagnostic anterior hook.

Geographical range

Sundaland.

Habitat preference

All specimens have been taken in lowland rainforest.

Biology

The larva (Plate 20) is bright green, sparsely scattered with pale yellow setae that are longer dorsally and directed slightly forwards.

Long, dark setae arise from blue spots above and below the spiracle on each segment, though those on A2 and A7 are incorporated in a large silvery patch that is edged dark brown. the dorsal pairs of scoli are reduced to shining golden blisters; on A8 there is a short, central green horn.

There are darker subdorsal bands just above the upper blue spots, intensifying posteriorly to broaden into a reddish triangular area over the anal clasper.

The spiracles are invested with yellow and are strikingly edged with dark brown.

The larva has been reared on Shorea glauca (Dipterocarpaceae) in Peninsular Malaysia (Tho Yow Pong, pers. comm.).