Hypercompe cunigunda (Stoll, [1781])

Stoll, C. [1781]. In: Cramer, P., De uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de
drie Waereld-Deelen Asia, Africa en America / Papillons exotiques des trois
parties du monde l'Asie, l'Afrique et l'Amérique, vol. 4: pp. 104-105,
pl. CCCXLIV, figs D, E. Described as Phalaena (Bombyx) cunigunda. Translated
from the Dutch original (with parallel French text).

Fig. D. Cunigunda. Has the antennae filiform, the proboscis is short, yet
very visible. Beneath, the wings have the same markings, but the colour is
much fainter; the body is white at the breast, and at the abdomen brown,
with dark yellow spots on the rings; the legs are brown and set with white
woolly little hairs.

Fig. E. Cunigunda. Is the male of Fig. D. When one examines the antennae
with a magnifying glass, they are furnished with short little hairs, but to
the naked eye they appear to be filiform. Beneath, the wings, the body and
the legs show no difference from those of the female. It may be placed among
the Silk-spinners (Phal. Bombyc.). It is found in Surinam.

Hampson, G. F. (1901). Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British
Museum, vol. 3, Arctiadae (Arctianae) and Agaristidae: p. 380, no. 1925 (as
Ecpantheria cunigunda).

1925. Ecpantheria cunigunda.

Bombyx cunigunda, Stoll, Pap. Exot. iv. pl. 344. D, E (1781); Kirby, Cat.
Het. p. 215.
Ecpantheria ganglio, Oberth. Et. Ent. vi. p. 107, pl. 13. f. 5 (1881); Kirby,
Cat. Het. p. 215.
Ecpantheria cayennensis, Oberth. Et. Ent. vi. p. 107, pl. 14. ff. 1, 3
(1881); Kirby, Cat. Het. p. 215.
Ecpantheria cayennensis, var. decipiens, Oberth. Et. Ent. vi. pl. 15. f. 6
(1881).

♂. Head and thorax white; palpi above, a spot on frons, and antennae black;
tegulae, patagia, pro- meso- and metathorax, and legs with annulate black
marks; abdomen orange with the 1st segment brown, dorsal blue-black bands
conjoined by subdorsal expansions enclosing dorsal orange spots, lateral
blue-black fasciae, the ventral surface white with small sublateral black
annuli on terminal segments, anal tuft white. Fore wing white, with
black-edged subbasal annuli on costa and below cell; antemedial, medial,
postmedial, and subterminal series of annuli, the spots towards costa filled
in with black, the postmedial series bent outwards below vein 5; a lunule
just beyond discocellulars; a terminal series of small spots. Hind wing
white, with fuscous streak on vein 1 and spot on tornal lobe, which is well
developed.

♀. Abdomen with the dorsal bands not conjoined, streaks on subterminal
segment uniting in a patch on terminal. Fore wing with the spots larger,
annulate towards costa and on termen, two spots beyond lower angle of cell.
Hind wing with black-edged greyish medial band from costa to median nervure,
where it is conjoined to a streak in lower end of cell and discoidal lunule;
a postmedial spot on costa; more or less developed black diffused markings on
inner area; typically some small spots beyond lower angle of cell and a
subterminal series small towards costa or reduced to spots between vein 3
and tornus; four small terminal spots between apex and vein 3.

Ab. 1. decipiens. Abdomen with the dorsal bands reduced to subdorsal patches,
the subterminal streaks reduced.

Hab. Cayenne; Surinam; Brazil, Rio Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul (Ihering), 1 ♀,
St. Catherina. Exp., ♂ 50, ♀ 82 millim.

Seitz, A. (1920). Ecpantheria. In: Seitz, A. (ed.), The Macrolepidoptera of
the World, vol. 6, The American Bombyces and Sphinges: p. 318, pl. 40 h.
(German edition: Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 6: 318.)

E. cunigunda Stoll (= ganglio Oberth.) (40 h). Very abundant ring-markings.
On the thorax 4 ellipses, 2 more on the shoulder-covers, 5 rows of rings
through the forewing and cell, the margins of the forewing densely covered
with rings. Abdomen blackish-brown, with golden yellow bands. — In
cayennensis the markings of the wings are duller, the abdomen is golden
yellow with very narrow transverse bands being almost interrupted in the
middle of the dorsum. — In decipiens Oberth. they are in fact interrupted
and stunted to very fine, small stripes, the ring-markings are still duller,
and in the ♂ extinct behind the cell. — From Guiana to South Brazil; not
rare.