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Updated as per Pinhey's Emperor Moths of South and South-Central Africa, 1972, April 25, 2006 Updated as per Bouyer's Catalogue of African Saturniidae, 1999, April 25, 2006 Updated as per Oberprieler's The Emperor Moths of Namibia, April 25, 2006 Updated as per Cooper & Cooper's The Emperor Moths of KwaZulu-Natal, April 25, 2006 Updated as per personal communication with Thierry Bouyer, 2005-2006 Updated as per personal communication with Angela Hertrampf, (Kolwezi, Katanga, DRC); April 24, 2012 Updated as per personal communication with David Bygott (Lake Masek, southern Serengeti Plain, Tanzania, January 2013, 5500ft): February 2013 |
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 |
"African Midi Music" |
Rodolphe Rougerie reports it from Burkina Faso in western Africa. It has been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Thierry Bouyer confimrs it in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Democratic Repbulic of the Congo, and indicates it likely flies in Gabon. I suspect it also flies in Cameroon, the People's Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Nigeria and possibly into Ethiopia as a subspecies. I am pretty sure the specimen depicted below from southeastern Mozambique is Usta terpsichore.
Usta terpsichore, Zitundo, Maputo Region,Mozambique,
75mm, January 19, 2008, courtesy of Andrea Sciarretta,
tentative id and digital repair by Bill Oehlke.
In Angola, the caterpillar, Usta terpsichore was found to be a rich source of iron, copper, zinc, thiamin (vitamin B) and riboflavin (B2); 100 g of cooked insect provided 100% of the daily requirement of each of these minerals and vitamins (Oliveira et al., 1976).
A great many subspecies are recognized:
terpsichore subangulata Bouvier, 1930 Malawi, Democratic Republic of
the Congo
terpsichore grantae Terral & Lequeux, 1991 Tanzania
terpsichore alba Terral & Lequeux, 1991 Tanzania
I think this moth has full species status as Usta alba
terpsichore abyssinica (Aurivillius, 1898) Abessinien (high country in Ethiopia??)
terpsichore yaere Darge, 1994 possibly?? northern plains of Cameroon
Usta terpsichore courtesy of Sid Pugh. This moth is one of the U. terpsichore subspecies.
Usta terpsichore male, Lake Masek, southern Serengeti Plain, Tanzania,
5500ft, Acacia-Commiphora woodland, courtesy of David Bygott.
Usta terpsichore male, Lake Masek, southern Serengeti Plain, Tanzania,
5500ft, Acacia-Commiphora woodland, courtesy of David Bygott.
Small eggs are deposited in one cluster on a hostplant twig. |
Usta terpsichore, Kolwezi, Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
courtesy/copyright of Angela Hertrampf, id by Bill Oehlke
Usta terpsichore, male, Kolwezi, Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
courtesy/copyright of Angela Hertrampf, id by Bill Oehlke
Commiphora caryaefolia.....
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Corkwood |