DISTRIBUTION:

Epiphora bauhiniae atbarina is one of the few Attacini in Africa. It flies in eastern Kenya.

I have very little information about many of the African species. Distribution/range, flight times, images, etc., would be greatly appreciated.

Send info and/or pictures to oehlkew@islandtelecom.com. Every little bit helps!

June 30, 2004, Rolf Oberprieler writes, "E. bauhiniae extends in distribution more or less as a broad band from West Africa eastwards through the Sahel zone (north of the equatorial forests) to the Sudan and from there south through Kenya and Tanzania (and the Shaba region of DR Congo) and then southwest through western Zimbabwe into Namibia (missing South Africa itself). Various populations along this cline have been described: bauhiniae from Senegal, schultzei from Chad, atbarina (= sudanica) from Sudan, vera from Zimbabwe and damarensis from Namibia.

It's difficult (and non-sensical, in my opinion) to force this clinal geographical variation into fixed and distinct "subspecies" (a stupid concept in any case), but in broad terms there is a western "form" (bauhiniae/schultzei), a darker north-eastern one (atbarina/sudanica) that extends into northern Uganda and Kenya etc., and a southern one (vera/damarensis) that occurs from southern Kenya to Namibia. Nomenclaturally, the name of this southern form is damarensis Schultze, 1913, with vera Janse, 1918 as a synonym (already recognised by Bouvier (1936), by the way, but Pinhey overlooked Schultze's name!).

Pinhey is also wrong with his statement "typical bauhiniae ... found in West tropical Africa, such as Soudan" - nominate bauhiniae is neither tropical nor occurs in the Sudan! And atbarina was also described from the Sudan (Atbara), so is the same as sudanica. "

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Epiphora bauhiniae atbarina larvae probably feed on Citrus, Maesopsis eminii, Paullinia, Zanthoxylum macrophyllum and Fagara macrophylla. Jim Brady has recently had success getting eggs to cocoon stage on Ceanothus.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Epiphora bauhiniae atbarina 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.

Epiphora atbarina first instars on Ceanothus,
Choba, Eastern Province, Kenya, courtesy of Jim Brady.

Epiphora atbarina second instars on Ceanothus,
Choba, Eastern Province, Kenya, courtesy of Jim Brady.

Epiphora atbarina third instar on Ceanothus,
Choba, Eastern Province, Kenya, courtesy of Jim Brady.

Epiphora atbarina fourth instar on Ceanothus,
Choba, Eastern Province, Kenya, courtesy of Jim Brady.

Epiphora atbarina fifth instar on Ceanothus,
Choba, Eastern Province, Kenya, courtesy of Jim Brady.

Epiphora atbarina fifth instar on Ceanothus,
Choba, Eastern Province, Kenya, courtesy of Jim Brady.

Epiphora atbarina cocoons on Ceanothus,
Choba, Eastern Province, Kenya, courtesy of Jim Brady.

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.

Ceanothus (JB) Citrus Fagara macrophylla..... Maesopsis eminii Paullinia Zanthoxylum macrophyllum.......

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

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