Maltagorea mariae
Updated as per Saturnafrica Fascicule #15, Basquin, March, 2013; January 30, 2014
Updated as per personal communication with Patrick Basquin, March 15, 2015

Maltagorea mariae
mal-tuh-GOR-ee-uhMMAH-ree-ay
Basquin 2013

Maltagorea mariae male, Lakato Forest, SP Moramanga, Madagascar,
1100m, courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

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 mariae (wingspan: males: 60mm; females: 65mm // forewing length: males: 37mm; females: 40mm) flies in
Madagascar Est: Moramanga S. P.; Lakato Forest; at elevations near 1100m.

This moth belongs in the rostaingi group.

Male ground colour is orange with some red brown suffusions in the median area. Basal and post median areas are a slightly paler orange without the darker suffusions. The forewing pm area lacks the pale pinkish white tracing the outer edge of the dark pm line as found in rostaingi. Instead there is a suffusion of pinkish white in the pm area just below the apex with same colour suffusuions surrounding the dark spots in the pm area.

The female is a much darker red-brown, with other markings/patterns similar to the male.

In the Lakato region this moth is sympatric with M. rostaingi and M. pseudomariae.

Visit Maltagorea rostaingi Group Comparison Plate.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Maltagorea mariae larval hosts are unknown, but many Maltagorea species utilize the tapia tree as a larval host.

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.

Maltagorea mariae female, Lakato Forest, SP Moramanga, Madagascar,
1100m, courtesy of Patrick Basquin.

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.


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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 mariae is honourific for a woman named Marie-Jacqueline.

Maltagorea mariae HT male, Lakato, Madagascar,
on my home computer only.

Maltagorea mariae HT male (verso), Lakato, Madagascar,
on my home computer only.

Maltagorea mariae female, Moramanga S.P., Lakato, Madagascar,
June 1, 2003, 1100m, on my home computer only.

Maltagorea mariae female (verso), Moramanga S.P., Lakato, Madagascar,
June 1, 2003, 1100m, on my home computer only.