DISTRIBUTION:

The Dusky Atlas, Epiphora pelosoma (wingspan: males: approximately 140mm; females: approximately 150mm)is one of the few Attacini in Africa. Epiphora pelosoma flies in northeastern Tanzania (Uluguru & Usambara Mts.) Rolf Oberprieler. Andreas Riekert reports it also from southwestern Tanzania.

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!

Rolf Oberprieler writes (May 2005), "D'Abrera (as Pinhey etc.) is wrong in treating manowensis as a synonym of pelosoma; I have reared both and the larvae are VERY different. Have illustrated the E. manowensis larva in 1994 (OBERPRIELER, R. G., & NÄSSIG, W. A. 1994. Tarn- oder Warntrachten - ein Vergleich larvaler und imaginaler Strategien bei Saturniinen (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae). Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo, N.F. 15(3): 267-303.) but not the E. pelosoma larva. The larva of E. manowensis was also reared and illustrated by Dollman from Solwezi.

"The moths are distinct in their typical localities (E. manowensis in Zimbabwe, Malawi and southern Tanzania (Manow), and E. pelosoma in NE-Tanzania (Uluguru & Usambara Mts.), but it seems to get a bit messy in between and I haven't looked into this problem in detail."

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in January. Epiphora pelosoma larvae probably feed on Citrus, Maesopsis eminii, Paullinia, Zanthoxylum macrophyllum and Fagara macrophylla.

Magamba, West Usambara Mountains, northeastern Tanzania, courtesy of Teemu Klemetti

Teemu Klemetti writes of Magamba Forest, West Usambara Mountains, northeastern Tanzania, "I found there for example: Gonimbrasia alcestris, Epiphora pelosoma, Pseudaphelia roseibrunnea, Micragone nyasae, Pseudobunaea tyrrhena and many others that are still under identification....".

Epiphora pelosoma, Tanzania, Njombe, Ulembwe Forest, February 2005,
courtesy of Teemu Klemetti. ID by Rolf Oberprieler.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Epiphora pelosoma 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.

Epiphora pelosoma pair, SW Tanzania, courtesy of Andreas Riekert

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 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.

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

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

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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.

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 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 "pelosoma" might mean "hairy body".

Epiphora pelosoma female, D'Abrera, on my home computer only.