Spotlight on rearing Automeris io lilith (Strecker)

Spotlight on rearing Automeris io lilith (Strecker)
by
Vernon Antoine Brou Jr., 74320 Jack Loyd Road, Abita Springs, Louisiana 70420 email: vabrou@bellsouth.net
The common Louisiana saturnid species Automeris io lilith (Strecker) is easy to rear in desktop containers
or in sleeves upon common food plants as cherry and common privet. Newly hatched larvae do not like privet, but
later instars accept it readily. Mid-instar and mature larvae of lilith can exhibit yellow and green color forms in
Louisiana and this attribute reportedly occurs from the Carolinas to Louisiana, the reported range of lilith . The
bright yellow larvae with bright red longitudinal stripe is quite striking and red markings are noticeably brighter red
than on the green color forms which display a maroon-colored stripe. Some larvae batches have approximate
equal numbers of both color forms. A. io lilith usually has at least four annual broods peaking at approximately
46-day intervals in Louisiana (Brou, 2003) and adults are attracted to ultra violet light.
a
b
e
f
c
d
g
f
Fig. 1. Automeris io lilith : a. early instar larvae, b. mid instar larvae, c. mature larvae, d. mature yellow larvae,
e. adult male, f. adult female, g. mature larvae.
Literaturej cited
Brou, Vernon A. 2003. Automeris io lilith (Strecker) in Louisiana. South. Lepid. News 25: 44-45.