DISTRIBUTION:

The Natal Emperor, Gonimbrasia gueinzii (wingspan: 110-130mm), flies in South Africa. It is grouped with Imbrasia in many classifications.

Cooper and Cooper propose placing it in genus Parabunaeopsis Bouvier, 1926. They also indicate it is endemic to South Africa and specimens reported from other locales are probably reducta, flavescens or cleoris.

Bouyer, on the other hand, equates flavescens with dione, indicates cleoris is a brown subspecies of nyassana from the mountains north of Lake Malawi, and he does not cover reducta.

The specimen at the top of the page from the Royal Museum for Central Africa does not have the straight outer margin drawn by Cooper.

Much work still has to be done with the African Saturniidae.

FLIGHT TIMES AND LARVAL HOSTS:

The species is probably bivoltine with flights in South Africa in January-February and August-November in habitats with elevations from 300-900m.

Gonimbrasia gueinzii larvae feed upon Maesa alnifolia, Maesa lanceolata, Myrica, Pyrus malus and Prunus.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Both sexes are active at night. Males come in to lights around midnight when females are scenting.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Off-white eggs are deposited in clusters of up to 40. Incubation may last as long as twenty days.

Mature larvae, up to 90mm long, are black with red spiracles and a very generous speckling of yellow dots. Scoli are equipped with spines.

Pupation is in the soil in a subterranean chamber.

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.

Bersama abyssinica....... Cajanus cajan Combretum Cotoneaster Croton macrostachyus Cupressus lusitanica Eriosema Eucalyptus camaldulensis...... Eucalyptus cladocalyx Eucalyptus diversicolor Eucalyptus drepanophylla....... Eucalyptus melliodora Eucalyptus paniculata Eucalyptus saligna Euclea Khaya grandifoliola Maesa alnifolia Maesa lanceolata Myrica Pinus patula Pyrus malus Prunus Prunus cerasus Prunus serotina Pseudarthria Rosa Rubus Schinus molle

Bersama abyssinica Pigeonpea Chameleon vine Cotoneaster Broad-leaved croton Mexican cypress Eriosema Redgum eucalyptus Dwarf Sugar gum Karri Grey Ironbark Yellow box Grey Ironbark Sydney Blue Gum Euclea African mahogany Maesa False Assegaai Bayberry Patula Pine Apple Cherry Dwarf Cherry/Sour Cherry/Morello Cherry Wild Black Cherry Pseudarthria Rose Blackberry/Raspberry Brazilian pepper tree

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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.

The genus name Nudaurelia means 'naked gold' (Pinhey).

The species name "gueinzii", is honourific for William Gueinzius, a collector of the mid 1800's. (Pinhey).

Nudaurelia gueinzii male, on my home computer only, Cooper and Cooper.

Nudaurelia gueinzii larva, on my home computer only, Cooper and Cooper.