Lobobunaea melanoneura
Updated as per SATURNIDES DE COTE D'IVOIRE (SCI), S.HERDER, X.LERY, G.FEDIERE, NKKOUASSI, 1989; September 28, 2010
Updated as per Saturnafrica Fascicule #15, Darge, March, 2013 (Zambia); January 27, 2014
Updated as per personal communication with Kelly Price (female, 127mm, Cameroon); January 28, 2015

Lobobunaea melanoneura
(Rothschild, 1907) Gonimbrasia

Lobobunaea melanoneura male, wingspan 105mm, All Leps Barcode of Life.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Saturniinae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Tribe: Bunaeini, Packard, 1902
Genus: Lobobunaea, Packard, 1901

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DISTRIBUTION:

Lobobunaea melanoneura (approximate wingspan: males: 100-105mm; females: 127mm) flies in
Ghana: ;
southcentral Guinea Conakry: ;
probably northcentral Liberia: NNE of Dieke;
Ivory Coast: Azaguie (May);
Gabon: Estuaire, probably Wolem-Ntem;
probably southwestern Cameroon;
Equatorial Guinea;
Zambia: Lusaka Province (SF15);
R. D. Congo; and
Ghana (specimen type location), and probably Togo, Benin, and possibly west of Liberia.

T. Bouyer, 1999, equates the subpsecies L. m. basquini with the nominate subspecies.

Lobobunaea melanoneura male, Rufunsa Ranch WMA, Lusaka Province, Zambia,
December 2012, on my home computer only, digital repair by Bill Oehlke.

The forewing veins are quite prominent and dark as is the broad, slightly preapical, concave pm line which runs close to the outer margin.

Lobobunaea melanoneura male, wingspan 105mm, All Leps Barcode of Life

In the February newsletter, I had identified the following moth as a female Lobobunaea melanoneura. I now think it is more likely the more common Lobobunaea acetes, although there seems to be a considerable reduction in the red suffusions of the hindwing, and the hindwing ocellus breaks the course of the pm line. Perhaps as Patrick Basquin has suggested a DNA analysis shoud be done for this one.

Lobobunaea melanoneura (more probably acetes) female, 127mm, Cameroon,
courtesy of Kelly Price.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Lobobunaea melanoneura moths are on the wing in May in Ivory Coast (SCI).

Philippe Darge reports a December flight in Zambia.

Larval hosts are unknown.

Lobobunaea melanoneura male, wingspan 100mm, All Leps Barcode of Life.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Lobobunaea melanoneura females attract males with an airbourne pheromone.

Lobobunaea melanoneura male (verso), Rufunsa Ranch WMA, Lusaka Province, Zambia,
December 2012, on my home computer only, digital repair by Bill Oehlke.

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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