Rothschildia lebeau

Guérin-Méneville, 1868

Lebeau's Silk Moth, Forbes Moth

Rothschildia lebeau is a giant in the , distributed from the Lower Rio Grande Valley through eastern Mexico to Brazil. are short-lived and do not feed, relying on fat reserves accumulated during larval development. The exhibits a tradeoff between larval survival and adult body size based on quality, with larger males showing higher mating success.

Rothschildia lebeau forbesi by (c) johnyochum, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by johnyochum. Used under a CC-BY license.Rothschildia lebeau 8737507 by José Belem Hernández Díaz. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.Rothschildia lebeau 168327604 by Jared Shorma. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Rothschildia lebeau: /rɒˈtʃɪldiə ləˈboʊ/

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Identification

Wingspan of 90–100 mm; feature transparent "windows" devoid of that distinguish it from similar . The Forbes (R. lebeau forbesi) is frequently mistaken for the Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas), though the latter is substantially larger with a wingspan reaching 240 mm and possesses a serpent- marking on the lobe.

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Habitat

Tropical dry forests and tropical wet forests; found in forested environments from lowland to hilly regions.

Distribution

Lower Rio Grande Valley (United States) through eastern Mexico to Brazil; also recorded from Barro Colorado Island, Panama, and northwestern Rica.

Seasonality

growth and survival are higher in the early wet season compared to the late wet season; and activity follow seasonal patterns tied to .

Diet

are herbivorous, feeding on foliage of specific plants. do not feed and have mouthparts.

Host Associations

  • Spondias mombin - Larval Consistently poor larval survival, long development time, but produces large final size
  • Exostema mexicanum - Larval Higher larval survival and shorter development time, but produces smaller size
  • Casearia nitida - Larval Variable intermediate performance between the other two

Life Cycle

. feed on foliage, with development time and survival varying significantly by host and seasonal timing. occurs in a . emerge with mouthparts, do not feed, and live only a few days. Females invest heavily in production and rarely far from their cocoon after , instead emitting species-specific to attract males.

Behavior

Females remain near their after and emit to attract males; males possess broad , streamlined bodies, and sensitive that allow them to detect and follow trails over distances of a mile or more. Larger males have higher probability of mating, though males of all sizes have been observed mating. Wing damage (indicating relative age) negatively correlates with mating probability.

Ecological Role

; component of -animal interaction in tropical forests. Serves as for associated protistan microbial .

Human Relevance

R. lebeau forbesi is used in educational exhibits and houses. Relatives in the Rothschildia have cultural significance for peoples, with harvested to make rattles for ceremonial dances.

Similar Taxa

  • Attacus atlasFrequently mistaken for R. lebeau forbesi due to transparent windows; distinguished by much larger size (240 mm wingspan vs. 90–100 mm) and serpent- marking on lobe
  • Rothschildia cinctaCongeneric with similar appearance and

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Sources and further reading