DISTRIBUTION:

The African Atlas Moth, Epiphora vacuna, (forewing length: approximately 76-89mm) is one of the few Attacini in Africa. This species flies in western Africa:
Sierra Leone;
Ivory Coast: Mokta;
Ghana;
Liberia.

Epiphora species, Congo, courtesy of Victor Sinyaev of Russia

The specimen above has some of the characters of E. vacuna, but it also has features that do not match any Epiphora species depicted by D'Abrera. It is also out of the range mentioned by D'Abrera and might be more suited to E. ploetzi, but again it has some distinctive features.

Hyaline spots are crescent shaped and the male forewings are very falcate in ploetzi and vacuna.

D'Abrera equates E. lecerfi with E. vacuna.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in Ivory Coast in June.

Epiphora vacuna larvae feed on Croton oligondrum, Fagara heitzii and Maesopsis emini.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Epiphora vacuna 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 vacuna vacuna male Gabon, courtesy of Rodolph Rougerie.

I am pretty sure the moth depicted above is Epiphora ploetzi as E. vacuna is not known to range into Cameroon or Gabon.

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.

Croton oligondrum Fagara heitzii Maesopsis emini Neoboutonia melleri.....

Croton oligondrum Olon Rhamnaciae Neoboutonia melleri

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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 "vacuna" means 'goddess of the Idle' according to Pinhey.

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