Maltagorea dura
Updated as per Bouyer's Catalogue of African Saturniidae, 1999, 2004
Updated as per personal conversation with and images from Thierry Bouyer, May 2006

Maltagorea dura
mal-tuh-GOR-ee-uhMDOO-ruh
(Keferstein, 1870) (Saturnia)

Maltagorea dura male, courtesy of Thierry Bouyer.

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: Urotini, Packard, 1902
Genus: Maltagorea, Bouyer, 1993

MIDI MUSIC

"African Midi Music"

ON.OFF
<bgsound src="Dafrican.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Maltagorea dura flies in northern Madagascar: Antananarivo: Tananarive (Paris Museum, PB); Tamatave, Toamasina (7m); Parc de Masoala: Arol Lodge, at elevations near 2-3m.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

The female depicted below, from Arol Lodge, Parc de Masoala, was taken December 27, 2009. Identification is very tentative. The cell spots seem quite small for dura, based on the images from Thierry Bouyer.

Maltagorea dura female, Arol Lodge, Parc de Masoala, Madagascar,
December 27, 2009, 2-3 m., Theo G.

Maltagorea dura larval hosts are unknown.

Maltagorea dura female, courtesy of Thierry Bouyer.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS 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.


Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page.

Return to Maltagorea Genus

Goto African Saturniidae Directory

Goto Main Saturniidae Index

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

I do not know the reason for the species name dura.