DISTRIBUTION:

The Yellow Marbled Emperor, Heniocha flavida flies in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia. BOLD Systems indicates it flies in Malawi.

In some listings it is treated as a subspecies of H. apollinia.

Rolf Oberprieler writes, "Heniocha apollonia: I now treat H. flavida as a species distinct from H. apollonia. After my 1995 book I managed to rear this smaller, yellow species and found that there are significant differences in the larvae from H. apollonia too. Both species occur in South Africa and Zimbabwe, but in Namibia only H. flavida occurs."

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Heniocha flavida adults are probably on the wing from late December until early March.

Larvae probably feed on Elephant's Root (Elephantorrhiza elephantina). Elephantorrhiza has been confirmed by Rolf Oberprieler.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Heniocha flavida moths mate and fly at night with both sexes attracted to lights. Males are usually slightly smaller than females.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in strings of up to 30 on foodplant leaves.

Larvae are black in first instar.

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae. 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.

Elephanthorriza elephantina.....

Elephant's Root

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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.

In Greek mythology Heniocha is the daughter of Pittheus and the mother of Sciron.

Pinhey indicates the species name flavida means "golden-yellow".