Maltagorea auricolor variabile male, tan,
Ambatofinandrahana, Massif de l'Itemo, Madagascar,
1400m, courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

Maltagorea auricolor variabile male, 106mm, pink,
Ambatofinandrahana, Massif de l'Itemo, Madagascar,
1400m, courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

DISTRIBUTION:

Maltagorea auricolor variabile (wingspan: males: 99-106mm; females: 98-102mm) flies in Madagascar: Massif de l'Itremo, Ambatofinandrahana, 1400m.

Both genders show considerable variation in wing colour and size of cell marking.

Maltagorea auricolor variabile, male, 99mm, Madagascar, BOLD Systems.

Maltagorea auricolor variabile male, brown,
Ambatofinandrahana, Massif de l'Itemo, Madagascar,
1400m, courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Maltagorea auricolor variabile larval hosts are unknown, but they also likely feed on Tapia.

Maltagorea auricolor variabile, female, 98mm, Madagascar, BOLD Systems.

Maltagorea auricolor variabile female, yellow-brown,
Ambatofinandrahana, Massif de l'Itemo, Madagascar,
1400m, courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

Maltagorea auricolor variabile female, yellow-brown,
Ambatofinandrahana, Massif de l'Itemo, Madagascar,
1400m, courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

Maltagorea auricolor variabile female, yellow,
Ambatofinandrahana, Massif de l'Itemo, Madagascar,
1400m, courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females emit an airbourne pheromone and males track the scent with their antennae by flying in a zigzag pattern into the wind.

Females can be quite variable with regard to cell size, colour and wing shape.

Maltagorea auricolor variabile female, small forewing cell,
Madagascar, 101mm, courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

Maltagorea auricolor variabile female, orange,
Madagascar, 102mm, courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

Maltagorea auricolor variabile female, brown,
Madagascar, courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

Maltagorea auricolor variabile female, brown,
Madagascar, courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Maltagorea auricolor variabile fourth? instars, Massif de l'Itemo, Ambatofinandrahana, Madagascar,
courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

Maltagorea auricolor variabile fifth instar, Massif de l'Itemo, Ambatofinandrahana, Madagascar,
courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

Maltagorea auricolor variabile fifth instar, Massif de l'Itemo, Ambatofinandrahana, Madagascar,
courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

Larvae feed on Tapia foliage.

Maltagorea auricolor variabile foodplant: tapia forest, Massif de l'Itemo, Ambatofinandrahana, Madagascar,
1400m, courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

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.

The genus name Maltagorea is a contraction of the Malagassy branch of the Tagoropsis / Pseudantherea group.

Mal from Malagassy Republic (Madagascar);
tago from Tagoropsis:
rea from Pseudantherea

The species name auricolor means the "colour of gold" and refers to the ground colour of this species. The subspecies name variabile might ?? refer to a subspecies showing variable patterns or colours.