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This page is inspired by and dedicated to Cyril Di Gennaro (CD) who has collected in Ethhiopia and has provided me with numerous images.
It is hoped that with continued submissions from Cyril and other collector/photographers and identification assistance from Thierry Bouyer and others, that this page will present a good representation of what can be found in Ethiopia. Data (date, precise location, wingspans, elevation, clock times) would be much appreciated. Please send to Bill Oehlke.
Please note: those species followed by WO? are speculative. I have no confirmation they are present in Ethiopia, but they may be present, largely based on reports from neighbouring countries.
Recently (October 2010) Dr. Andrea Sciarretta (AS) of Italy has begun to send me images of Saturniidae collected in Ethiopia. I will be seeking help with identifications.
"The major portion of Ethiopia lies on the Horn of Africa, which is the easternmost part of the African landmass. Bordering Ethiopia is Sudan to the west,
Djibouti and Eritrea to the north, Somalia to the east, and Kenya to the south. Within Ethiopia is a vast highland complex of mountains and
dissected plateaus divided by the Great Rift Valley, which runs generally southwest to northeast and is surrounded by lowlands, steppes, or semi-desert.
The great diversity of terrain determines wide variations in climate, soils, natural vegetation, and settlement patterns.
"The predominant climate type is tropical monsoon, with wide topographic-induced variation. The Ethiopian Highlands which cover most of the country have a
climate which is generally considerably cooler than other regions at similar proximity to the Equator. Most of the country's major cities are located at
elevations of around 2,000–2,500 metres (6,562–8,202 ft) above sea level, including historic capitals such as Gondar and Axum.
"The modern capital Addis Ababa is situated on the foothills of Mount Entoto at an elevation of around 2,400 metres (7,874 ft), and experiences a healthy
and pleasant climate year round. With fairly uniform year round temperatures, the seasons in Addis Ababa are largely defined by rainfall, with a dry
season from October–February, a light rainy season from March–May, and a heavy rainy season from June–September. The average annual rainfall is around
1,200 mm (47.2 in). There are on average 7 hours of sunshine per day, meaning it is sunny for around 60% of the available time. The dry season is the
sunniest time of the year, though even at the height of the rainy season in July and August there are still usually several hours per day of bright
sunshine.
"The average annual temperature is Addis Ababa is 16 °C (60.8 °F), with daily maximum temperatures averaging 20–25 °C (68–77 °F) throughout the year, and
overnight lows averaging 5–10 °C (41–50 °F). A light jacket is recommended for the evenings, though many Ethiopians prefer to dress conservatively and
will wear a light jacket even during the day.
"In less elevated regions,
particularly the lower lying Ethiopian xeric grasslands and shrublands in the east of the country, the climate can be significantly hotter and drier.
The town of Dallol, in the Danakil Depression in this eastern zone, has the world's highest average annual temperature of 34 °C (93.2 °F).
"Ethiopia is an ecologically diverse country, ranging from the deserts along the eastern border to the tropical forests in the south to
extensive Afromontane in the northern and southwestern parts. Lake Tana in the north is the source of the Blue Nile.
The wide range of altitude has given the country a variety of ecologically distinct areas, this has helped to encourage the evolution of endemic
species in ecological isolation." Wikipedia
Based on 2010 personal communication from Thierry Bouyer I believe Epiphora elianae is now a synonym of Epiphora fournierae.
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