Epiphora albida noigamagenta
Updated as per BOLD Systems, January 2008

Epiphora albida noigamagenta
eh-PIF-er-uhmmal-BYE-duhmmnoy-guh-muh-GEN-tuh
(Stoneham, 1933) (Drepanoptera)

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.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: Attacini, Blanchard, 1840
Genus: Epiphora, Wallengren, 1860

MIDI MUSIC

Wind Beneath My Wings
copyright C. Odenkirk
MIDI CITY
ON.OFF
<bgsound src="wings.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Epiphora albida noigamagenta (wingspan: males: approximately 143-158mm; females: larger) is one of the few Attaciini in Africa. This species flies in Kenya.

Thierry Bouyer equates this moth with the nominate species.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Epiphora albida noigamagenta females extend a scent gland from the posterior tip of the abdomen to call in the night-flying males.The pair remains coupled until the following evening.

The wings of the female are more rounded than those of the male.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

The cocoon is double walled and resembles the cocoon of the Hyalphora.

Larval Food Plants


It is hoped that this tentative alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the probable foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Citrus
Fagara macrophylla.....
Maesopsis eminii
Paullinia
Zanthoxylum macrophyllum.......

Citrus
East African Satin Wood
Muhumula/Musira
Guarana
Hercules' club

Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page.

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.

Some of the early describers/namers chose genus and species names indicating some character of the insect, but more often, they simply chose names from Greek or Roman mythology or history.

Those species names which end in "ensis" indicate a specimen locale, and those which end in "i", pronounced "eye", honour a contempory friend/collector/etc.

"Epiphora" is a medical condition of insufficient drainage of the tear film from the eyes. The eyes are often watery, lids inflamed and crusted. I do not know the reason(s) for the choice of Epiphora as the genus name, but perhaps the large hyaline areas on the wings of mythimnia (specimen type) with the thick white and yellow borders, were suggestive of watery, encrusted eyes.

The species name, "albida" is for the abundance of white, particularly on the hindwings.