Micragone martinae
Updated as per Pinhey's Emperor Moths of South and South-Central Africa, 1972, April 30, 2006
Updated as per Bouyer's Catalogue of African Saturniidae, 1999, April 30, 2006
Updated as per Natural History Museum website, April 30, 2006
Updated as per personal communication with Sebastian Brandner, March 21, 2007
Updated as per personal communication with Dave Marsden (Ebogo, Centre Region, Cameroon, October, 2012), April 24, 2014
Updated as per personal communication with Frederik Goussey (Mbalmayo, Cameroon, July 2014), September 24, 2014

Micragone martinae
mye-kragh-GOHN-neeMmar-TEEN-ay
Rougeot, 1952

Micragone martinae male courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Saturniinae Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Tribe: Micragonini Cockerell in Packard, 1914 (1902)
Genus: Micragone, Walker, 1855

MIDI MUSIC

"Moon River"
copyright C. Odenkirk

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

DISTRIBUTION:

Micragone martinae (wingspan: males: 65-74-82mm; females: larger) flies in
Gabon;
Cameroon: Nkolmeke (northeastern Sud Province) and Elone (Sud Province) and Mont Kala and Ebogo (Centre Province), and probably in other areas of Cameroon. Sebastian Brandner sends the female recto image from Reserve Du Dja on the border of Sud and Est provinces.

Micragone martinae courtesy of Ken Thorne.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This moth flies in July (FG) and October (DM) in Cameroon, and possibly in other months.

Micragone martinae larvae feed on

Micragone martinae ventral, courtesy of Ken Thorne.

Micragone martinae male, July 2006, Elone (Sud Province), Cameroon,
wingspan 82mm, courtesy of Sebastian Brandner.

Micragone martinae male, 75mm, Ebogo, Centre Province, Cameroon,
October, 2012, 317m, courtesy of Dave Marsden.

Micragone martinae male (verso), July 2006, Elone (Sud Province), Cameroon,
wingspan 82mm, courtesy of Sebastian Brandner.

Micragone martinae male (verso), 75mm, Ebogo, Centre Province, Cameroon,
October, 2012, 317m, courtesy of Dave Marsden.

Sebastian writes, "Here is a giant Micragone martinae. I have about twenty M. martinae in my collection and the sizes of them are between 65 and 74mm. This specimen has a wingspan of 82mm, the biggest I've ever seen."

Both Thierry Bouyer and Philippe Darge indicate that the large moth depicted above is a male. Philippe writes, "The forewings of the female are larger and more falcated."

Micragone martinae female, Mont Kala, Cameroon (Central Province),
about 60 km west of Yaounde, March 2007, courtesy of Sebastian Brandner.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Micragone martinae female, Mbalmayo, Cameroon,
July 2014, courtesy of Frederik Goussey.

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.

Micragone comes from the Greek words for a small contest, according to Pinhey.

The species name, 'martinae', is probably honourific for a woman named Martina.