Type species: Neoris huttoni Moore, 1862.
A cold-tolerant genus of one to four species endemic to the eastern Palaearctic, with 'one' species penetrating westwards as far as Turkey. Closely related to Caligula Moore (1862), Perisomena Walker (1855) and Saturnia Schrank (1802). Included in the latter by some authors.
HOSTPLANT FAMILIES: Many trees and shrubs, but with a preference for the Rosaceae and Oleaceae.
(Taxonomic note. The various subspecies of N. huttoni given here are regarded by some authors as being specifically distinct, with subsp. galeropa listed as a subspecies of N. shadulla.)
Type locality: 30Km SE Ovacik, upper Munzur Valley, Erzincan Province, Turkey.
Holarctic; western Palaearctic region: Monocentric -- Syrian refuge.
Wingspan 103--117mm. Superficially similar to S. atlantica, but with a very distinct broad pale outer margin to the double postmedial band on all wings. Significantly larger than all the other subspecies of N. huttoni, and often very brightly marked.
This nocturnal species inhabits river valleys with a good growth of riverine trees and shrubs, occurring at between 1200 and 1500m altitude.
Most adults emerge from mid- to late afternoon, with females calling that same night. Pairing takes place just after dark and lasts for only a few hours. Both males and females are readily attracted to light.
Usually early October, with the entire population emerging within a few days of each other.
OVUM: Oblong, 2.6 x 1.6mm, olive-green with brown gum, and extremely hard. Laid in strings of up to ten on twigs, but only hatching the following spring with the onset of warmer weather. The overwintering stage.
LARVA: Full-fed 80mm. Monomorphic.
Full-grown larvae are basically pale green and covered with short to medium length silver hairs. Dorsally, each segment bears a pair of narrow hair tufts composed of a few long hairs -- those on the abdominal segments are silver, those on the thoracic segments black. The true legs and spiracles are orange, with the latter being surrounded by a yellow ring. There is a thick yellow subspiracular line on the abdominal segments (edged above with black), and a large spot of a similar yellow colour on each anal clasper.
The larvae are lethargic feeders from beneath leaves, resenting disturbance as well as rain. Descends to the ground to pupate.
Hostplants. Mainly ashes (Fraxinus), but also found on pears (Pyrus), Prunus, quinces (Cydonia), spiraeas (Spiraea) and willows (Salix). Can be reared on privets (Ligustrum) and sumacs (Rhus) in captivity, with large adults resulting from using bird cherry (Prunus padus) as a host.
PUPA: 30--35mm. Cylindrical, but tapering towards both ends. Uniform mahogany-brown with a yellowish patch between the eyes, and with a pair of hook clusters anally. Formed in a creamy-white to reddish-brown, semi-transparent, elongate, single-walled, unsealed cocoon among debris and leaves on the ground.
Unknown.
So far, only known from a limited area of east-central Turkey, from the provinces of Erzincan, Erzurum, Hakkari, Tunceli and Sivas.
Extra-limital range. None.
Type locality: Mussoorie, Uttar Pradesh, northern India.
Holarctic; western Palaearctic region. Pleistocene refuge: Monocentric -- Sindian refuge.
Wingspan 80--95mm. Smaller, paler and less well marked than subsp. naessigi.
As per subsp. naessigi, but mainly at 1500--2100m altitude.
September and October, although odd individuals may turn up in late August.
OVUM: Oblong, 2.6 x 1.6mm, olive-green with brown gum, and extremely hard. Laid in strings of up to ten on twigs, but only hatching the following spring with the onset of warmer weather. The overwintering stage.
LARVA: Full-fed 80mm. Monomorphic.
Full-grown larvae are basically pale green and covered with short to medium length silver hairs. Dorsally, each segment bears a pair of narrow hair tufts composed of a few long hairs -- those on the abdominal segments are silver, those on the thoracic segments black. The true legs and spiracles are orange, with the latter being surrounded by a yellow ring. There is a thick yellow subspiracular line on the abdominal segments (edged above with black), and a large spot of a similar yellow colour on each anal clasper.
The larvae are lethargic feeders from beneath leaves, resenting disturbance as well as rain. Descends to the ground to pupate.
Hostplants. Found in April on wild species of pear (Pyrus).
PUPA: 30--35mm. Cylindrical, but tapering towards both ends. Uniform mahogany-brown with a yellowish patch between the eyes, and with a pair of hook clusters anally. Formed in a creamy-white to reddish-brown, semi-transparent, elongate, single-walled, unsealed cocoon among debris and leaves on the ground.
Unknown.
The Himalayan foothills of northern Pakistan and northwest India, from Uttar Pradesh to Kashmir.
Extra-limital range. None.
Type locality: Kopet-Dagh near Aschabad [Kopet Dag near Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan].
Holarctic; western Palaearctic region. Pleistocene refuge: Monocentric -- Iranian refuge.
Wingspan 85--100mm. Smaller and paler but similar to subsp. naessigi.
As per subsp. naessigi.
Late September and October.
OVUM: Oblong, 2.6 x 1.6mm, olive-green with brown gum, and extremely hard. Laid in strings of up to ten on twigs, but only hatching the following spring with the onset of warmer weather. The overwintering stage.
LARVA: Full-fed 80mm. Monomorphic.
Full-grown larvae are basically pale green and covered with short to medium length silver hairs. Dorsally, each segment bears a pair of narrow hair tufts composed of a few long hairs -- those on the abdominal segments are silver, those on the thoracic segments black. The true legs and spiracles are orange, with the latter being surrounded by a yellow ring. There is a thick yellow subspiracular line on the abdominal segments (edged above with black), and a large spot of a similar yellow colour on each anal clasper.
The larvae are lethargic feeders from beneath leaves, resenting disturbance as well as rain. Descends to the ground to pupate.
Hostplants. Depending on altitude, found from April until August on wild species of Rosaceae.
PUPA: 30--35mm. Cylindrical, but tapering towards both ends. Uniform mahogany-brown with a yellowish patch between the eyes, and with a pair of hook clusters anally. Formed in a creamy-white to reddish-brown, semi-transparent, elongate, single-walled, unsealed cocoon among debris and leaves on the ground.
Unknown.
The Alborz and Zagros mountains of Iran, the Kopet Dag straddling both Iran and Turkmenistan, and Armenia.
Extra-limital range. None.
Type locality: Shadulla, Yarkand River, East Turkestan [Xaidulla, Karakax River, Xinjiang Province, China].
Holarctic; western Palaearctic region. Pleistocene refuge: Monocentric -- Turkestan refuge.
Wingspan 80--95mm. Smaller, paler and less well marked than subsp. naessigi.
As per subsp. naessigi, but from 1100 to 3200m altitude. The adults emerge in the late afternoon and generally pair that same night well after dark. This is a brief affair, with females then proceeding to lay almost all their eggs before dawn.
Resting moths are very skittish and will drop to the ground at the slightest provocation before warming up and flying off to some nearby bush. Here they will rest with their wings either closed over their backs or held slightly open. The nocturnal flight is very fast and vigourous.
A short-lived species, rarely surviving more that 3 days. Females generally die within 24 hours of laying their eggs.
Late September and October; however, in some years some populations may emerge as early as mid September.
OVUM: Oblong, 2.6 x 1.6mm, olive-green with brown gum, and extremely hard and glossy. Laid in neat strings of up to 15 on twigs, but only hatching the following spring with the onset of warmer weather. The overwintering stage.
LARVA: Full-fed 80mm. Monomorphic.
Full-grown larvae are either green or greyish-brown and covered with short to medium length silver hairs. Dorsally, each segment bears a pair of narrow hair tufts composed of a few long hairs -- those on the abdominal segments are silver, those on the thoracic segments black. The true legs and spiracles are orange, with the latter being surrounded by a yellow ring. There is a thick yellow (or yellow-orange) subspiracular line on the abdominal segments (edged above and below with black), and a large spot of a similar yellow colour on each anal clasper.
The larvae are lethargic feeders from beneath leaves, resenting disturbance as well as rain. Descends to the ground to pupate.
Hostplants. Depending on altitude, found from April until August on wild species of spiraea (Spiraea) and pear (Pyrus), and other Rosaceae.
[In captivity will feed on ashes (Fraxinus), but prefers various species of cherry, particularly Prunus padus.]
PUPA: 30--35mm. Cylindrical, but tapering towards both ends. Uniform mahogany-brown with a yellowish patch between the eyes, and with a pair of hook clusters anally. Formed in a creamy-white to reddish-brown, semi-transparent, elongate, single-walled, unsealed cocoon among debris and leaves on the ground.
Unknown.
A subspecies of the mountain chains which separate the western and eastern Palaearctic regions, from Ladakh to Krasnoyarsk and the eastern Sajan near Lake Baikal. This encompasses Jammu and Kashmir (India), eastern Afghanistan, western Xinjiang Province (China), Tajikistan, eastern Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, eastern Kazakhstan, the Altai Mountains of China, Russia and Mongolia, central Siberia as far north as Krasnoyarsk, and the Tuva ASSR, Russia, where it meets the eastern palaearctic Caligula boisduvalii Eversmann.
Extra-limital range. The provinces of Xinjiang, Gansu and Shaanxi, China.
None; however, see taxonomic note above.
Return to species list