Updated as per personal comunication with Robert Minetti, (Adafroptilum kalamboensis, Micragone ansorgei moxicoensis, Buneopsis annabellae, Nudaurelia macrothyris, Pseudobunaea callista)January 26, 2009
Updated as per personal communication with Dave Rolfe (E. manowensis, Mbala), March 2009
Updated as per Saturnafrica #8, 2011, Philippe Darge; January 31, 2014
Updated as per Saturnafrica #11, April 2012, Philippe Darge; August 20, 2014

Zambia

Zambia has a tropical climate, modified by the altitude of the country. There is a rainy season that runs from October/November to March/April and September.

The terrain of Zambia is mostly high plateau, with some hills and mountains. The lowest point is the Zambezi river, at 329 meters above sea level, with the highest being an unnamed point in the Mafinga Hills, at 2,301 meters above sea level.

Nine ecoregions in four biomes are represented in Zambia, the most widespread being Miombo, Mopane and Baikiaea woodland savanna, with grasslands (mainly flooded grassland) and evergreen forest also present.

Micragonini:
Adafroptilum coccineum
Adafroptilum exiguum
Adafroptilum incana PD
Ada. kalamboensis RM
Ada. rotundum PD
Campimopt. kuntzei PD
Campi. simukondai PD
Decachorda aspersa EP
Decachorda fulvia PD
Decachorda pomona
Decachorda rosea EP
Decachorda seydeli PD
Goodia oxytela ? EP
Holocerina agomensis FI
Holocerina angulata
Holocer. rhodesiensis PD
Holocerina smilax
Ludia orinoptena AVV
Micragone ansorgei PD
Micra. kasanka PD
Micra. kassanga PD
Micra. moxicoensis RM
Micragone agathylla CP
Micragone cana AVV

Urotini:
Antistath. dal. rect.
P. apollinaris WO?
Pseudaphelia dialitha PD
Pseudan. imperator EP
Tag. hanningtoni PD
Urota centralis PD
Urota sinope WO?
Urota zambiensis PD
Usta terpsichore CP

The Micragonini spin loose, paper like cocoons near the base of the hostplant.

A special thanks to David T. Rolfe who has provided images of Saturniidae from Zambia along with locales and dates and wingspans.

Saturniini:
A. kuhnei katangensis NW
Argema kuhnei FP, NE
Argema mimosae PD

Attacini:
Epiphora antinorii EP
Epiphora bauhiniae RO
Epi. kipengerensis DR
Epiphora manowensis DR
E marginimacula WO?
Epiphora mythimnia RO
Epiphora newporti PD
Epiphora rectifascia EP

Bunaeini:
Athletes gigas TK
Athletes semialba TK
Aurivillius aratus WO?
Aurivillius diversus
Aurivillius lucidus
Auriv. oberthueri WO?
Aurivillius seydeli PD
Auriv. zambesianus
Bunaea alcinoe FI
Buneopsis annabellaeRM
Bunaeopsis aurantiaca CP
Bunaeopsis jacksoni DTR
Bunaeopsis licharbas EP
Bunaeopsis saffronica JC
Bunaeopsis zaddachi PD
Cinabra bracteata EP/RM
Cinabra hyperbius FI
Cirina forda PD
C. f. orientalis PD
Of the Saturniinae subfamily, the Attacini and Saturniini spin cocoons, while the Urotini and Bunaeini pupate underground.

Bunaeini:
Gonimbrasia allardiana PD
Gonimbrasia alopia CP
Gonimbrasia belina FI
Gonimbrasia allardi TB
Gon. rectilineata EP
Gonimbrasia tyrrhea EVS
Gon. zambesini WO?
Gynanisa maja TV
Gynanisa ata FI
Gynanisa nigra TK
Gynanisa thiryi WO?
Heniocha dyops PD
Heniocha marnois CP
Imbrasia anthina AVV
Imbrasia epimethea FI
Imbrasia ertli CP
Imb. longicaudata NHM
Imbrasia orientalis CP
Imbrasia rectilineata AVV
Imbrasia rubra TV
Lobobunaea christyi FI
Lobobunaea angasana TK
Lobo. falcatissima RO
Lobo. melanoneura PD
Lobobunaea rosea PD
Lobobunaea saturnus FI
Melanocera parva EP
Nudaurelia alopia WO?
Nudaurelia anna WO?
N. anna allardi WO?
N. anthina WO?
Nudaurelia dione IT
Nudaurelia gueinzii EVS
Nudaurelia macrops WO?
Nud. macrothyris RM
Nudaurelia rhodina WO?
Pseudimbrasia deyrollei CP
Pseudob. callista EP/RM
Pseudob. epithyrena PD
Pseudob. natalensis PD
Pseudobunaea pallens CP
Pseudob. parathyrrena DR
Pseudo. seydeli PD
Rohaniella pygmaea WO?

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Zambia is divided into nine provinces. Below are the beginnings of very rudimentary provincial checklists for Zambia, largely based on reports from Robert Minetti.

I have greatly expanded the Copper Belt listing based on images from Sakania, Kantanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo, supplied by Nigel Voaden. Sakania s very close to the DRC/Zambia border.

Luapula

Campimoptilu. kuntzei PD
Cinabra hyperbius PD
Cirina f. orientalis PD
Gynanisa thiryi WO?
Lobo. falcatissima WO?
Lobobunaea rosea PD
Pseudob. natalensis PD
Urota centralis
Urota zambiensis PD




















Northern

Argema kuhnei DR
Argema mimosae PD
Athletes gigas
Athletes semialba PD
Aurivillius seydeli PD
Campimoptilu. kuntzei PD
Campim. simukondai PD
Cinabra hyperbius PD
Cirina f. orientalis PD
Decachorda fulvia PD
Decachorda seydeli PD
Epiphora kiperengensis PD
Gynanisa thiryi PD
Holocer. rhodesiensis PD
Imbrasia ertli PD
Micragone ansorgei PD
Micragone kasanka PD
Nud. macrothyris PD
Nud. wahlberghi PD
Pseudaphelia dialitha PD
Pseuda. flavomargin. PD
Pseudob. callista PD
Pseudob. kituloensis PD
Pseudob. seydeli PD
Rohaniella pygmaea PD
Tag. hanningtoni PD
Urota zambiensis PD

Eastern

Adafroptilum exiguum PD
Argema mimosae PD
Aurivillius seydeli PD
Campimoptilu. kuntzei PD
Campim. simukondai PD
Decachorda seydeli PD
Epiphora kiperengensis PD
Gynanisa thiryi PD
Holocer. rhodesiensis PD
Micragone ansorgei PD
Nud. wahlberghi PD
Pseudaphelia dialitha PD
Pseuda. flavomargin. PD
Pseudob. kituloensis PD
Rohaniella pygmaea PD













Northwestern

Arg. k. katangensis
Micra. kassanga PD
Athletes semialba PD
Bunaeopsis zaddachi PD
Epiphora newporti PD
Gon. zambesina PD
Gynanisa nigra PD
Gynanisa thiryi WO?
Imbrasia ertli PD
Lobo. falcatissima PD
Lobobunaea saturnus PD
Nud. macrothyris PD
Tag. hanningtoni PD

Copper Belt

Adafroptilum exiguum PD
Athletes gigas WO?
Athletes semialba
Bunaea alcinoe WO?
Bunaeop. aurantiaca WO?
Bunaeopsis jacksoni
Cinabra hybperbius
Cirina f. orientalis WO?
Decachorda rosea WO?
Gonim. rectilineata WO?
Gonim. zambesina WO?
Goodia (C.) kuntzei WO?
Gynanisa thiryi WO?
Heniocha marnois WO?
Imbrasia ertli WO?
Lobo. falcatissima WO?
Nuduarelia macrops WO?
Nuduarelia rubra WO?
Pseudim. deyrollei WO?
Pseudob. seydeli WO?
Urota zambiensis WO?

Central

Epiphora newporti PD
Holocerina smilax
Micragone ansorgei PD
Micra. kasanka
Athletes semialba
Cirina f. orientalis PD
Gon. allardiana PD
Gon. zambesina PD
Gynanisa nigra PD
Gynanisa thiryi WO?
Heniocha dyops PD??
Heniocha marnois PD
Imbrasia ertli PD
Imbrasia orientalis PD
Lobo. falcatissima PD
Lobo. melanoneura PD
Lobobunaea rosea PD
Lobobunaea saturnus PD
Nud. macrothyris PD
Pseudob. epithyrena PD
Pseudob. natalensis PD
Pseudo. seydeli PD

Western

Southern

Lusaka


Adafro. coccineum PD
Campimoptilum kuntzei
Decachorda pomona PD
Holocerina smilax
Micragone ansorgei

Pseudaphelia dialitha PD
Tag. hanningtoni CP

Aurivillius diversus PD
Aurivillius lucidus PD
Auri. zambesianus PD
Bunaea alcinoe
Bunaeopsis zaddachi PD
Cinabra hyperbius
Cirina forda PD
Gynanisa nigra
Heniocha dyops PD
Imbrasia orientalis
Lobo. falcatissima
Nud. macrothyris
Rohaniella pygmaea

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WWF: "Ecoregions are areas that share a large majority of their species and ecological dynamics; share similar environmental conditions; and interact ecologically in ways that are critical for their long-term persistence.

The following WWF ecoregions are found in Zambia.

The western dry forests and grasslands probably have a set of species different from those found in the extensive Central Zambezian Miombo woodlands. I expect there would be a different set of species found along the Malawi border in the Southern Rift montane forest-grassland mosaic in extreme northeastern Zambia.

1. Central Zambezian Miombo woodlands cover most of the country. It is one of the largest ecoregions in Africa, ranging from Angola up to the southern shores of Lake Victoria. All the typical miombo flora are represented here, but this region has a higher degree of floral richness, with far more evergreen trees than elsewhere in the miombo biome. The harsh dry season, long droughts, and poor soils are ameliorated by the numerous wetlands spread throughout the ecoregion, covering up to 30 percent of the region’s total area. Most of Zambia's Saturniidae species probably can be found throughout this expansive region.

2. Itigi-Sumbu thicket is a unique but poorly understood ecoregion, best known for its impenetrably dense deciduous vegetation. It is found in two small areas in center of Tanzania and on the south edge of Lake Tanganyika in Zambia. While little research has been conducted, the Itigi-Sumbu Thicket’s vegetation is unique and contains a number of endemic plants. The Itigi-Sumbu Thicket is being transformed so quickly that the Zambian portion is predicted to disappear in the next twenty years if urgent conservation action is not taken.

3. Zambezian flooded grasslands occur on the Bangwuelu/Luapala/Chambezi system in Zambia and a number of smaller floodplains and wetlands. The ecoregion is an anomaly of productivity and abundance in a landscape characterized by nutrient poor soil and vegetation. Unlike the surrounding Central Zambezian Miombo woodlands that generally support animals only in fairly low densities, the wetlands and floodplains of this ecoregion provide habitats to large numbers of animals, as food and water are abundant throughout most of the year.

4. Zambezian and Mopane woodlands are dispersed throughout southern Zambia, bounded by the Luangwa River in the north occuring in the countries to the south. Mopane tree woodlands mix with Zambezian woodlands in lower-elevation areas, often along major river valleys. There would probably be some Saturniidae species here distinct from those found in other regions. This region would also likely have numerous, diverse Saturniidae populations.

5. Southern Miombo woodlands extend over the southern third of Zambia mized with areas of Zambezian and Mopane woodlands. The landscape is flat or gently undulating, with numerous inselbergs.

6. Southern Rift montane forest-grassland mosaic occurs in a few spots on the eastern border with Malawi. Tanzania’s Kitulo Plateau is also botanically important. Numerous examples of endemic plant and animal taxa can be found throughout the ecoregion.

7. Western Zambezian grasslands are located in two main portions in southwestern Zambia, to the north and south of the Barotse floodplains.

8. Zambezian Cryptosepalum dry forests are distinctive evergreen forests is confined to an area around the Kabompo River in southeasterm Zambia.

9. Zambezian Baikiaea woodlands occur in the south east of the country, where deep Kalahari sands occur in a wide belt along the Angolan-Namibian border across to Zimbabwe, supporting dry deciduous forest dominated by Baikiaea plurijuga. Climate is hot and semi arid.