DISTRIBUTION:

The Athletes ethra moth flies in Mozambique, Africa. An insect trade site also lists it from the Republic of Central Africa. I suspect it also flies in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (probably as subspecies ogooensis. Thierry Bouyer confirms it for Malawi. Larvae are probably a valuable food source. Athletes ethra moth on Mozambique stamp.

Athletes ethra courtesy of Frans Desmet,
Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium

FLIGHT TIMES AND LARVAL HOSTS:

Athletes ethra larvae feed on Eucalyptus in the Myrtaceae family.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Both sexes are active at night. Males come in to lights around midnight when females are scenting.

Athletes ethra subspecies

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae and on various internet sites. It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Eucalyptus .........

Eucalyptus

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The pronunciation of scientific names is troublesome for many. The "suggestion" at the top of the page is merely a suggestion. It is based on commonly accepted English pronunciation of Greek names and/or some fairly well accepted "rules" for latinized scientific names.

The suggested pronunciations, on this page and on other pages, are primarily put forward to assist those who hear with internal ears as they read.

There are many collectors from different countries whose intonations and accents would be different.

"Athletes" is the Greek word for athletes.

I do not know the origin of ethra, but in Greek mythology Ethra is one of the Oceanids, daughters of Oceanus and Tethys.