Athletes semialba
(Sonthonnax, 1899) (Gynanisa)

Athletes semialba male, courtesy Marius Aurelian.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelcom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Saturniinae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Tribe: Bunaeini, Packard, 1902 Genus: Athletes, Karsch, 1896

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DISTRIBUTION:

The Frosted Emperor, Athletes semialba (wingspan 150mm), flies in eastern central Africa:
Malawi;
Zimbabwe;
Tanzania; and westward to
Zambia: Copper Belt Province, Northwest Province, Northern Province, Central Province; and
Rwanda where it has been mistakenly called Athletes steindachneri.

It has also been reported in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (confirmed by Thierry Bouyer). It also flies in
Kenya.

Athletes semialba male, Turiani Village, Kambora, northeastern Tanzania,
February 11, 2002, courtesy of Hubert Mayer.

Athletes semialba male, Sakania, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
January 17, 2013, courtesy of Nigel Voaden.

It is actually Athletes gigas that is the same as A. steindachneri according to Rolf Oberprieler.
Rolf also indicates description date goes back to 1899.

Note the complete and relatively wide pinkish/white ring, often with a strong inner presence of bright red, in the hindwing. The pale brown ring surrounding the iris is quite thin in this species, with the wider outer brown ring of the very similar Athletes gigas replaced by the red/pink/white ring of semialba.

Also note the black patch in the lower half of the forewing basal area of semialba. This black patch is not present in gigas, and gigas has a more produced forewing apex and stronger white markings along the outer margin of all wings compared to semialba.

Athletes semialba male, courtesy Andreas Reikert.

FLIGHT TIMES AND LARVAL HOSTS:

Adult moths are probably on the wing in January-February (HM), and possibly in other months.

Athletes semialba larvae feed on Brachystegia randii, Brachystegia globifera, Brachystegia spiciformis and Cassia.

Athletes semialba female, courtesy of Hubert Mayer copyright, id by Thierry Bouyer.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

Athletes semialba female, courtesy of Teemu Klemetti.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

The mature larva is a pale blue-green with golden, metallic scoli and dark red spiracular circles.

Pupation is in the soil in a subterranean chamber.

Athletes semialba female, Zambia, Kasama Province Nord, December 2003,
wingspan 150mm, courtesy of Sebastian Brandner, id by Thierry Bouyer.

Athletes semialba female (verso), Zambia, Kasama Province Nord, December 2003,
wingspan 150mm, courtesy of Sebastian Brandner, id by Thierry Bouyer.

Larval Food Plants

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.

Acacia campylacantha Berlinia globiflora Brachystegia randii Brachystegia globifera Brachystegia longifolia Brachystegia spiciformis....... Cassia Julbernardia globiflora Julbernardia paniculata

Acacia Mnondo Msasa Msasa Msasa Msasa Cape laburnum/Senna Mnondo Mnondo

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