Swaziland

Landlocked Swaziland, slightly smaller than New Jersey, lies near northeastern South Africa, joining southern Mozambique and South Africa.

The climate varies from tropical to near temperate over a terrain of mostly mountains and hills with some moderately sloping plains. The highest point is Emlembe with an elevation of 1,862 m.

The country supports a surprisingly wide range of ecological zones, from savannah scrub in the east to rainforest in the north-west, with patches of finbos, the 'fine bush' so renowned in South Africa. The mountainous border country with Mozambique is harsh and dry, and sharp mountains poke out of the highveld in the west.

In the east, sub-tropical woodland and swamps can get very steamy. Hardwood forests, which the logging industry is chipping away, dominate the western highlands.

It can bucket down in the western mountains over summer, although the mountains will generally remain cooler than the lowveld, which blisters as the mercury climbs past 40°C (104°F). October is the hottest month, and the rains begin in early December and continue through April. The lowveld tends to suffer extremes, with frosts and colder temperatures in winter (which falls over the northern hemisphere's summer). The eastern low veld is sub-tropical, mosquito ridden (watch out for malaria) and sticky, and can still be warm in mid-winter.

Plagued by alternating floods and droughts and a population where 1/3 of all adults have AIDS, food access is often a serious problem.

I suspect the country has a rich Saturniidae population for its size, and several species are edible and probably used for food. However, Swaziland is being faced with serious problems of deforestation and degradation of her indigenous forests and woodlands. The deforestation and degradation are caused by a complex of factors such as for example conversion of land to agriculture, uncontrolled extraction of forest products from communal land, large livestock populations, and is further compounded by a number of underlying socio-economic conditions that counteract rational use of the forest and woodlands.

See the map of South Africa.

Of the Saturniinae subfamily, the Attacini and Saturniini spin cocoons, while the Urotini and Bunaeini pupate underground. The Micragonini spin loose, paper like cocoons near the base of the hostplant. Micragonini: Goodia kuntzei WO Holocerina smilax SNR Ludia delegorguei RO Ludia goniata SNR

Attacini: Epiphora mythimnia JVV Saturniini: Argema mimosae RO Urotini: Pselaphelia flavivitta JVV Pseudaphelia apollinaris RO Urota sinope JVV Usta terpsichore ? WO Bunaeini: Aurivillius aratus JVV Bunaea alcinoë JVV Cirina forda WO Gonimbrasia belina WO Gonim. zambesina JVV Gynanisa maja JVV Heniocha apollonia WO Heniocha dyops JVV Imbrasia cytherea SNR Imbrasia tyrrhea WO Imbrasia wahlbergii JVV Lobobunaea angasana WO Melanocera menippe FI Pseudobunea irius WO Rhohaniella pygmaea ? WO

This list is guesswork, based on good data from Jacolene vander Vyver, Nelspruit, South Africa, just north of Swaziland and from my own interpolations. I expect there will be revisions, both additions and deletions, over time.

Gynanaisa maja is reported as common in the Mlawula Nature Reserve, but appears to be the only species reported from that area.

In the east of Swaziland, this Reserve is harsh but beautiful country, encompassing both plains and mountains.

Aurivillius aratus, Bunaea alcinoe, Gynanisa maja, Heniocha dyops, Holocerina smilax, Imbrasia cytherea, Imbrasia wahlbergii, Lobobunaea angasana, Ludia goniata, Pseudobunaea irius, Usta terpsichore, are all reported from Malolotja Nature Reserve.

The Malolotja Nature Reserve in northwest Swaziland, is the last unspoilt mountain wilderness left in Swaziland and offers some of the finest hill top scenery in southern Africa.

I suspect the Big Bend area which lies on a big bend in the Usuthu River where it meets the Lubombo mountains is also home to a number of species. The area is picturesque with views from surrounding hills across the river and a wildly beautiful gorge through the mountains.

The Swazi Tribe from Swaziland, South Africa, use anklets made from cocoons of Argema mimosae.

Nuduarelia wahlbergii fifth instar, Motshane, Swaziland,
May 1, 2013, courtesy of Jacqui Taft, via Daniel Marlos of What's That Bug?,
id by Bill Oehlke.

Nuduarelia wahlbergii fifth instar, Motshane, Swaziland,
May 1, 2013, courtesy of Jacqui Taft, via Daniel Marlos of What's That Bug?,
id by Bill Oehlke.

Regarding the images directly above, Jacqui Taft writes, "We have these caterpillars in our garden on a number of bushes. They are numerous and devour every leaf before moving to the next plant. I live at Motshane in Swaziland and this is where the caterpillars are. I would like to know what moth or butterfly they come from."

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