DISTRIBUTION:

The White-Barred Emperor, Leucopteryx ansorgei (wingspan: males: 76-83mm; females: probably larger), flies in
southeastern Kenya: Kiboko; East Aberdares, November 2009 (BG); and in
northern Tanzania: Bagamo (maybe Bagamayo on northeast coast); and Mara (north central Tanzania).

In The Emperor Moths of Eastern Africa, Pinhey describes and depicts Leucopteryx ansorgei with the forewing having two prominent, straight white lines, the one nearest the apex edged with red and convex near the apex, the one nearest the body, wide and forming an isoceles triangle, with the costa and inner margin forming the equal sides toward the body.

The hindwing also has a prominent white band near the dark outer margin.

Pinhey also indicates ansorgei has been taken in Nairobi and Kitale, Kenya; and in Shinyanga, southeast of Lake Victoria in Tanzania.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Moths are on the wing in November (BG) and possibly in other months.Leucopteryx ansorgei larval hosts are unknown.

Leucopteryx ansorgei female, Kenya, courtesy of Andreas Riekert.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

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.

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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.

According to Pinhey, 1972, "Leucopteryx" is from the Greek language and means "white-winged".

The species name, "ansorgei" is honourific for Dr. I. W. Ansorge.