Antheraea Montezuma

Antheraea Montezuma

Antheraea montezuma is a speciesof rare Silkmoth endemic to mexico. It is found in the states of Hidalgo, Veracruz and Puebla, but can also be found in San Luis Potosi, Campeche, Distrito Federal, and Guerrero.

Antheraea Montezuma
Scientific classification
Missing taxonomy template (fix):	Antheraea
Species:	Template:Taxonomy/AntheraeaA. montezuma
Binomial name
Template:Taxonomy/AntheraeaAntheraea montezuma Schaus, 1892

Description

Antheraea Montezuma is a large silkmoth in the genus Antheraea. The imagoes have distinct scalloping wing edges that sets this species away from others in the same genus. The wingspan is 150mm - 170mm.

Adults

Unlike most other saturniid moths, which typically exhibit female-biased sexual dimorphism in size, the adults of Antheraea montezuma have male-biased sexual dimorphism in size, with males possessing a larger wingspan than that of females. This atypical sexual dimorphism is shared with a sister species, Antheraea godmani.

Larvae

The Larvae of Antheraea Montezuma are large, green caterpillars with iridescent purple or blue tubercles. The larvae feed on Oak trees, though primarily native white oaks. The larvae go through 5 distinct instars in which they shed their skin to grow larger. The first instar, also known as a Neonate, is a small, teal larvae with an abundance of Setae on the small tubercles. The second instar is larger, and now a green, with noticeable purple and orange tubercles. The third instar, now having brown head capsules, have near fully purple tubercles. The larvae keep this appearance until 5th instar. Once theygain enough mass, they start to spin a Cocoon in which they shed their skin and turn into a Pupa.

Pupa

Antheraea Montezuma is a silk spinning species, meaning it constructs a cocoon to encase the pupa.. The cocoon is a tough, brown structure the encases the pupa. Antheraea Montezuma is a strictly Univoltine and cocoons in the wild must enter Diapause for the harsh winters to successfully hatch and emerge in the following spring.

Range

Antheraea Montezuma is endemic to mexico with a distribution concentrated primarily throughout the mountain ranges of the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental. Its range spans multiple Mexican states, where most of it goes through Hidalgo, Veracruz and Puebla, but can also be found in San Luis Potosi, Campeche, Distrito Federal (now mexico city), and Guerrero. In these Habitats, it is normally found in oak forests 1200 - 3000 meters above sea level.

Habitat

Antheraea Montezuma's primarily defined climate is high altitude oak forests where it has 2 intense weather cycles. During the day, the climate is warm, and dry. At night, the temperature drops due to the high elevation. For this reason, this species adapted to be cold-hardy.

Ecology

The larvae of antheraea Montezuma are strictly a Herbivore. They consume strictly oak tree foliage, with their native mountainous forest. Because they specifically eat Mexican white oak, the larvea heavily depend onthe conservation of these forests.

Etymology

The name antheraea montezuma stems from their mexican origins, as tribute to the mexican emepor, Montezuma II, the 9th aztec ruler, as it is found in Mexico.

Taxonomy

Antheraea montezuma was classified as Saturnia montezuma by Sallé in 1856, before later being classified as Antheraea Montezuma by Schaus in 1892.

References

https://www.gbif.org/species/1866480

https://breedingbutterflies.com/antheraea-montezuma-mexican-emperor-moth/https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/5087023518

https://images.peabody.yale.edu/lepsoc/jls/1990s/1992/1992-46(2)128-Lemaire.pdf

https://www.gbif.org/species/1866480

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