Abstract
Let 𝓜g be the moduli space of compact connected hyperbolic surfaces of genus g ≥ 2, and 𝓑g ⊂ 𝓜g its branch locus. Let
$\begin{array}{}
\widehat{{\mathcal{M}}_{g}}
\end{array} $ be the Deligne–Mumford compactification of the moduli space of smooth, complete, connected surfaces of genus g ≥ 2 over ℂ. The branch locus 𝓑g is stratified by smooth locally closed equisymmetric strata, where a stratum consists of hyperbolic surfaces with equivalent action of their orientation-preserving isometry group. Any stratum can be determined by a certain epimorphism Φ. In this paper, for any of these strata, we describe the topological type of its limits points in 𝓜͡g in terms of Φ. We apply our method to the 2-complex dimensional stratum corresponding to the pyramidal hyperbolic surfaces.