Mariposas de Bolivia

sitio 63

White Witches from Bolivia

Family: Erebidae Subfamily: Calpinae.

first update d. 17 december 2021

last update d. 4 february 2022

____________________________________________

View from hotel Esmeralda, Coroico, Yungas, Bolivia 24th january 2008. Photographer; Lars Andersen

View from Hotel Esmeralda, Elevation: 1800 m. Coroico, Yungas, Bolivia january 24, 2008. Photographer; Lars Andersen

Owl Moth, Thysania zenobia. Coroico 1750 m. Yungas, Bolivia d.  31 January 2014. Photographer:  Ole Andersen

Owl Moth, Thysania zenobia. Coroico Elevation: 1800 m. Yungas, Bolivia
31th January 2014. Photographer: Ole Andersen
17 august 2015; Hi dude. There is a specimen in this page identified as Letis buteo.
It's actually a male Thysania zenobia. Best regards, Cesar Crash

Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia d. 26 january 2010. Photographer; Lars Andersen

White Witch, Thysania agrippina. Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia 26th january 2010. Photographer; Lars Andersen

White Witch, Thysania agrippina (Cramer, 1776) male. Family: Erebidae. Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia d. 25 february 2020. Photographer; Peter Møllmann

White Witch, Thysania agrippina (Cramer, 1776) male. Family: Erebidae. Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia d. 25 february 2020. Photographer; Peter Møllmann

Thysania agrippina  Verdens største sommerfugl i vingefang, den er ca. 30 cm. Hotel Esmeralda, Coroico d. 9 Januar 2005. Fotograf: Lars Andersen

White Witch, Thysania agrippina. Coroico, Yungas, Bolivia 9th january 2005. Photographer; Lars Andersen

White Witch, Thysania agrippina (Cramer, 1776) is a  moth species  in the
Calpinae subfamily, Erebidae family, Noctuoidea super family.

The species has numerous common names, including: 
white witch, birdwing mothghost moth, great grey witch and great owlet moth.
It is the butterflies with the biggest wingspan in the world,
which typically is reported as being up to 27–28 cm (11–11 in)
and one Brazilian specimen had a wingspan of almost 32 cm (12 in). 

The Atlas MothAttacus atlas and Hercules Moth, Coscinocera hercules 
however, have greater wing areas.

The White Witch occurs in Mexico, Central and South America,
and appears as a stray as far north as
 Texas, USA.

The species is generally widespread, but is considered endangered in the state of  
Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, where it reaches the southern limit of its distribution.

Surprisingly, there appears to be no published reports of the true host plant of
T. agrippina. Janzen & Hallwachs (1999) and Robinson et al. (2002) report that
its sister species,
Thysania zenobia, hosts on Senna and Cassia, family Fabaceae, subfamily
Caesalpinioideae. It seems likely that T. agrippina larvae also feed on woody legumes.

Return to Texas Entomology - Compiled by Mike Quinn

Three hundred years ago, a most remarkable individual, Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
depicted the four stages of the "
Great Owlet" Moth's life history, the egg, larva, pupa and adult in a 19.7 x 13.8 inch copperplate engraving.
Versions of this famous work are found on at least three websites:

"Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium"

White Witch, Thysania agreppina. Jatata inn Hotel, Caranavi, elev. 600 m. d. 12 january 2015. Photographer: Peter Møllmann

White Witch, Thysania agrippina. Jatata inn Hotel. Elevation: 600 m. Caranavi
Yungas, Bolivia 12th January 2015. Photographer; Peter Møllmann
After lots of rain came two males Thysania agreppina +24cm, to our 250w mercury lamp in the garden.
Is the largest moth in the world in terms of recorded wingspan about 32 to 33 cm.!

Thysania agrippina  Verdens største sommerfugl i vingefang, den er ca. 30 cm. Tidligt om morgenen i Coroico d. 18 Januar 2005. Fotograf: Lars Andersen

White Witch, Thysania agrippina. Coroico, Yungas, Bolivia 18th january 2005. Photographer; Lars Andersen

White Witch, Thysania agrippina (Cramer, 1776) male. Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia  november 26, 2021 Photographer; Peter Møllmann

White Witch, Thysania agrippina (Cramer, 1776) male. Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia  november 27, 20121 Photographer; Peter Møllmann

White Witch, Thysania agrippina (Cramer, 1776) male. Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia  november 27, 2021 Photographer; Peter Møllmann

White Witch, Thysania agrippina female no 1. I will try to get some eggs from her. Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia Dec. 2, 2021. Photographer; Peter Møllmann

White Witch, Thysania agrippina female no 1. I will try to get some eggs from her. Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia Dec. 2, 2021. Photographer; Peter Møllmann

White Witch, Thysania agrippina female no 2. Now together with my first female, both in very good condition. Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia Dec. 8, 2021. Photographer; Peter MøllmannWhite Witch, Thysania agrippina female no 2. Now together with my first female, both in very good condition. Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia Dec. 8, 2021. Photographer; Peter MøllmannWhite Witch, Thysania agrippina female no 2. Now together with my first female, both in very good condition. Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia Dec. 8, 2021. Photographer; Peter MøllmannWhite Witch, Thysania agrippina female no 2. Now together with my first female, both in very good condition. Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia Dec. 8, 2021. Photographer; Peter Møllmann

White Witch, Thysania agrippina female no 2. Now together with my first female, both in very good condition.
Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia
Dec. 8, 2021. Photographer; Peter Møllmann

This morning I found 12 eggs laid by my Thysania agrippina females. Caranavi Bolivia Dec. 16, 2021. Photographer; Gottfried SiebelThis morning I found 12 eggs laid by my Thysania agrippina females. Caranavi Bolivia Dec. 16, 2021. Photographer; Gottfried Siebel and Nikolaj Kleissl

This morning I found 12 eggs laid by my Thysania agrippina females. Caranavi Bolivia Dec. 16, 2021. Photographer; Gottfried Siebel and Nikolaj Kleissl

Thysania agrippina, newly hatched caterpillar. Must be the first ever photo of this species.  Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia December 22, 2021. Photographer; Peter MøllmannThysania agrippina, newly hatched caterpillar. Must be the first ever photo of this species.  Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia December 22, 2021. Photographer; Peter Møllmann

Thysania agrippina, newly hatched caterpillar. Must be the first ever photo of this species.
Now I will try to find out what it will eat. 3 caterpillar have hatched so far. Size approx. 7-8mm.
Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia
December 22, 2021. Photographer; Peter Møllmann

_____________

Thysania agrippina female no1 drinking sugarwater.
This female still in very good condition and laying eggs every day.
When I recorded the video
December 25, 2021 she was in captivity for 23 days,
started laying eggs after 13 days. Caranavi, Yungas,
Bolivia. Photographer; Peter Møllmann

_____________

Thysania agrippina, newly hatched caterpillar. Must be the first ever photo of this species.  Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia January 1, 2022. Photographer; Peter Møllmann

Peter Møllmann January 1, 2022: Thysania agrippina caterpillar 2 days old. I now have 40+ live caterpillars.
Still no real signs of suitable foodplant. I have now tried more than 40 different species of tree leaves.
The caterpillars survive 2-3 days without eating. most of them eat their eggshell.
When resting many of the caterpillar are hanging in the air on a silk thread 3 cm from the top lid of plastic box.
Today I collected 150++ eggs from the cage, while my 2 females was drinking sugar water. From Caranavi,
Bolivia.

____________________________________________

Peter Møllmann; Thysania agrippina breeding update Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia 11.Jan.2022.

Peter Møllmann; Thysania agrippina breeding update january 11, 2022.
My 2 females are still laying many eggs and many caterpillars hatch, but they also die after 2-3 days.
I guess I have tried feeding them over 60 different types of local plants, none have been accepted.
The search continues.
Oldest female from
2. december, and was drinking sugarwater for 10 min. while I was collecting eggs from their cage.
I have collected over 500 eggs now, almost all of them hatch, after 6-7 days.

White Witch, Thysania agrippina female no 1. I will try to get some eggs from her. Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia Dec. 2, 2021. Photographer; Peter Møllmann.

White Witch, Thysania agrippina female no 1. I will try to get some eggs from her.
Caranavi, Yungas,
Bolivia Dec. 2, 2021. Photographer; Peter Møllmann.

Peter Møllmann February 2. 2022. My first, and last surviving, Thysania agrippina female was alive for 61 days!
Together with the second female they produced more than 600 eggs. Maybe 500 of the eggs hatched but they all died within
3 days. I have tried nearly 100 local plants but none were accepted. I gave up making a list of the plants I have tried.
Maybe I have tried some of the plants twice.
Thysania agrippina is common around Caranavi, at least
1 specimen came to my moth lamp on the rooftop of my hotel every week, all very fresh.
When looking at the surroundings of Caranavi I know that I am looking at the foodplant.

____________________________________________

View from hotel Esmeralda, Coroico, Yungas, Bolivia th 7 january 2005. Photographer; Lars Andersen

Cumbre Mururata, Elevation 5843 m. View from Hotel Esmeralda. Coroico, Yungas, Bolivia 7th january 2005. Photographer; Lars Andersen

____________________________________________

Witches, Erebidae from Bolivia

Silkmoths, Saturniidae from Bolivia

_________________________________

Back to Mariposas de Bolivia diciembre 2021

Back to Mariposas de Bolivia febrero 2010