Publication Type: | Journal Article |
Year of Publication: | 2025 |
Authors: | U. Paukstadt, Paukstadt L. H. |
Journal: | Beiträge zur Kenntnis der wilden Seidenspinner |
Volume: | 23 |
Issue: | 1 |
Start Page: | 9 |
Pagination: | 9-17 |
Date Published: | 25/01/2025 |
Keywords: | ATTACUS, CRICULA, FOODPLANT, INDONESIA, JAVA, SATURNIIDAE |
Abstract: | "About one hundred primary and secondary food plants of the larve of the Giant Atlas Moth Attacus atlas (LINNAEUS, 1758) of the genus Attacus LINNAEUS, 1767 (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) are known, cf. Peigler (1989) and Meister (2011). On the island of Java, Indonesia, the larvae are often found on fruit trees such as avocado, Persea americana MILL. (Lauraceae), orange trees, Citrus x sinensis (L.) OSBECK, lemon trees, Citrus x limon (L.) OSBECK (Rutaceae) and guava, Psidium guajava LINNAEUS (Myrtaceae). Even with a rather rare mass reproduction, the larvae usually do not cause any damage by defoliation because they live single. In addition to the distribution on various fruit trees, larvae and cocoons are found on Java, also on tea bushes, Camellia sinensis (L.) KUNTZE (Theaceae), which is an important primary food plant of the larvae. The tea bush, which can grow up to 9 m high, is available in the var. sinensis and var. assamica (J.W.MAST.) KITAM. and their intersections on Javanese plantations. During one of our Java tours, larvae and cocoons of the Giant Atlas Moth were searched for on a larger tea plantation near Malang, East Java Province (Jawa Timur Propinsi). We would like to briefly report on our observations here." |