EPIPHORA OF THE WORLD

Epiphora are African species belonging to the tribe Attacini Blanchard, 1840.

Epiphora scribonia Wallengren, 1860 is the specimen type for this genus. It is a junior synonym of Epiphora mythimnia.

"Epiphora" is a medical condition of insufficient drainage of the tear film from the eyes. The eyes are often watery, lids inflamed and crusted. I do not know the the reason(s) for the choice of Epiphora as the genus name, but perhaps the large hyaline areas on the wings of mythimnia with the thick white and yellow borders, were suggestive of watery, encrusted eyes.

In his Catalogue of African Saturniidae 1999, Thierry Bouyer indicates, although many names are listed, only about twenty species can be recognized.

I (Bill Oehlke) suspect that many of the species listed, without pictures and without specific ranges, are actually synonyms of the depicted species.

D'Abrera depicts seventeen species.

Unfortunately some moths were described, but neither actual specimens nor figurations can be found. In some cases genitalia have been removed but no descriptions or figurations or preserved genitalia can be found.

Certainly any taxonomist working with this genus must find the above very frustrating. It appears that Bouyer and D'Abrera have made some judgments, based on outward appearances, location, etc., without actual examination of genitalia. Their judgments may or may not prove to be correct. DNA examination will undoubtedly prove useful in some case, but where the actual original specimen(s) can no longer be located, final determinations will probably have to wait until a type is designated.

Some of the comments below might seem confusing. Certainly there are some contradictions. This mirrors the real life situation for several of these moths.

Recently, with the advent of DNA barcoding, BOLD Systems has begun to list some recently described species as well as offer images and distributions. I have incorporated that information into the list. I have also made active link additions below the list for species listed as valid in one listing, but not in another.

Epiphora mythimnia larva on Croton sylvaticus courtesy of Pierre le Roux.

Larvae seem remarkably similar to North American Hyalophora species, and the outer margins of moths are strikingly similar to Hyalophora and Rothschildia species.

P indicates an image is available.

Species: E. acuta Epiphora acuta Darge, 2012 Type locality: Malawi, Mont Mulanje, 700 m. Holotype: Coll Darge. male ?. genitalia Darge AT no. 414. 20.X.2003. leg. Pierre Schmit References[edit] Darge, Ph., 2012: Description of four new species close to Epiphora mythimnia (Westwood, 1849) and more data on the distribution of this complex. Saturnafrica 12: 19-26.

E. eugeniae – Epiphora eugeniae Darge, 2012 Type locality: Tanzanie, Rukwa Region, route Kabungu-Sibweza, 1080 m., 06°30.556' S., 030°47.195' E. Holotype: Coll Darge. male ?. genitalia Darge SAT no. 837. 21.II.2012. leg. Ph. Darge References[edit] Darge, Ph., 2012: Description of four new species close to Epiphora mythimnia (Westwood, 1849) and more data on the distribution ofthis complex. Saturnafrica 12: 19-26.

E. leae Epiphora leae Darge, 2012 Type locality: Tanzanie, Nguru Mts., Diware River, forêt humide de montagne, 06°02.777' S.,037°31.641' E., 1165 m. Holotype: Coll Darge. male ?. genitalia Darge SAT no. 838. 27.XI.2002. leg. Ph. Darge References[edit] Darge, Ph., 2012: Description of four new species close to Epiphora mythimnia (Westwood, 1849) and more data on the distribution ofthis complex. Saturnafrica 12: 19-26.

E. vicina Epiphora vicina Darge, 2012 Type locality: Tanzanie, Tanga Region, Amani Forest Reserve, 210 m., 05°07.313' S., 038°41.374' E. Holotype: Coll Darge. male ?. 5.XI.2005. leg. Ph. Darge. References[edit] Darge, Ph., 2012: Description of four new species close to Epiphora mythimnia (Westwood, 1849) and more data on the distribution ofthis complex. Saturnafrica 12: 19-26.

Listing of Epiphora Wallengren, 1860

N acuta Darge, 2012 Malawi, Mont Mulanje, 700 m, nr mythimnia
P aequatorialis (Testout, 1936) equatorial Africa: Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo
P albida (Druce, 1886) Ghana, Guinea, Sudan, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola to western Kenya
N albida noigamagenta (Stoneham, 1933) Kenya; T. Bouyer equates with nominate species
P antinorii (Oberthur, 1880) Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya
P bauhiniae (Guerin-Meneville, 1832) Senegal, Burkina Faso, Kenya, western Ethiopia, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia through Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania.
P bauhiniae atbarina (Butler, 1877) Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, same as Epiphora sudanica
P bauhiniae damarensis Schultze, 1913 n. Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, s.e. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania
P bauhiniae schultzei Aurivillius, 1905 Chad
P bauhiniae vera Janse, 1918 Zimbabwe; Democratic Republic of the Congo: Lubumbashi (TB)
N bedoci (Bouvier, 1929) Ivory Coast; renamed as E. modesta by Bouvier; (DR Congo, BOLD Systems)
P berliozi (Rougeot, 1948) D'Abrera indicates this is perspicua (Congo, Gabon, BOLD Systems), possibly Cameroon (TB)
P boolana Strand, 1909 Liberia, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Ivory Coast, Cameroon; ?? Nigeria
P brunnea (Bouvier, 1930) D'Abrera indicates this is pelosoma
N cadioui Bouyer, 2008 Angola: Cuanza Sul, Dunguir
P congolana (Bouvier, 1929) D'Abrera indicates this is probably ploetzi: See link in ALBCOL list
N cotei (Testout, 1936) D'Abrera indicates this is antinorii; Naumann disagrees and indicates it is more closely allied with testouti Malawi
P elianae Rougeot, 1974 Ethiopia; synonymized with fournierae, Thierry Bouyer
N eugeniae Darge, 2012 Tanzania, Rukwa Region, route Kabungu-Sibweza, 1080 m., nr mythimnia
P feae Aurivillius, 1910 Ghana Nigeria, Cameroon D'Abrera indicates conjuncta and niepelti are same as feae
P fournierae, Lemoult, 1945, Ethiopia
P gabonensis (Testout, 1936) D'Abrera indicates this is ploetzi
P getula (Maassen & Weyding, 1885) Tanzania, western Africa
N hassoni Bouyer, 2008 Democratic Republic of the Congo: Katanga
P imperator (Stoneham, 1933) western Kenya (TB), Uganda (TB), Democratic Republic of the Congo (WO?)
N intermedia (Rougeot, 1955) Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo
P kipengerensis Darge, 2007 Malawi, Zambia
N leae Darge, 2012 Malawi, Nguru Mts., Diware River, forêt humide de montagne, 06°02.777' S.,037°31.641' E., 1165 m., nr mythimnia
N lineata (Bouvier, 1930) Goldkiiste (Ghana), Africa
P lugardi Kirby, 1894 Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda; ??Somalia
N macedoi Darge , Mendes & Bivar de Souza 2006 Angola, Kuanza Norte Province, Golungo Alto.
P macrops Bouvier, 1929 Ivory Coast
P magdalena Grunberg, 1909 northern Malawi, Kenya
P manowensis (Gschwandner, 1923) Manow, Zimbabwe; Malawi
P marginimacula Joicey & Talbot, 1924 Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Malawi, ?? Burundi; possibly northeastern Zambia and southwestern Tanzania; ugandensis is a synonym of marginimaculata
P mineti Darge, 1994 Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of Central Africa, west and central Africa; same as styrax
N modesta (Bouvier, 1936) Ivory Coast; possibly a subspecies of E. vacuna
N murphyi Bouyer, 2008 Zambia; Malawi: Mzuzu
P mythimnia (Westwood, 1849) central and southern Africa, Kenya (YP), Uganda, Tanzania, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, and possibly?? Rwanda and Burundi
N newporti Bouyer, 2007 Zambia
P oberprieleri Bouyer, 2008 Type locality: Zimbabwe, Vumba Mts., Lawrenceville
N obscura Duffrane, 1953 Democratic Republic of the Congo
P pelosoma Rothschild, 1907 N.E. Tanzania, Malawi, ??Kenya
N pelosoma boursini (Testout, 1936) Equatorial Africa: Tanzania
N pelosoma bouvieri (Testout, 1936) Equatorial Africa
P pelosoma lecerfi (Testout, 1936) D'Abrera indicates this is vacuna Equatorial Africa
N pelosoma nubilosa (Testout, 1938) Tanganyika (Tanzania)
P perspicua (Butler, 1878) Cameroon, Gabon, Togo, Ghana; ??Nigeria, Benin, Guinea
P ploetzi (Weymer, 1880) Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and probably Republic of Central Africa
N pygmaea (Bouvier, 1929) Tanganyika (Tanzania) Africa
P rectifascia Rothschild, 1907 Cameroon, Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo, Republic of Central Africa, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Kenya
P rectifascia ileshana Rougeot, 1955 Ilesha in southwestern Nigeria; Ivory Coast
P rectifascia watulegei Rougeot, 1974 Kakamega Forest, Kenya, Tanzania
P rotunda Naumann, 2006 Tanzania, Kenya
P rufa Wallengren, 1860 D'Abrera indicates this is antinorii
N scribonia Wallengren, 1860 previously a synonym of mythimnia
P styrax Darge, 1994 Cameroon styrax = mineti
N testenoirei (Bouvier, 1929) Central Africa
N testouti Rougeot, 1948 Gabon (SN)
P torquata (Bouvier, 1929) D'Abrera indicates this is probably ploetzi
P vacuna (Westwood, 1849) Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia
P vacunoides (Testout, 1948) Ivory Coast, Gabon
N vicina Darge, 2012 Tanzania, Tanga Region, Amani Forest Reserve, 210 m., 05°07.313' S., 038°41.374' E., nr mythimnia
N victoria (Maassen & Weyding, 1885) Africa
P werneri Darge, 2007 Tanzania
N weymeri Druce probably the same as vacuna, Africa

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As of April 5, 2007, The All Leps Barcode of Life website lists the following species:

Epiphora aequatorialis (Testout, 1935)
Epiphora albida (Druce, 1886)
Epiphora antinorii (Oberthür, 1880)
Epiphora atbarina (Butler, 1877)
Epiphora bauhiniae (Guérin-Méneville, 1829)
Epiphora bedoci (Bouvier, 1929)
Epiphora boolana (Strand, 1909)
Epiphora boursini Testout, 1935, Tanzania (BOLD Systems), T. Bouyer equates with E. pelosoma
Epiphora bouvieri Testout, 1935
Epiphora brunnea (Bouvier, 1930)
Epiphora congolana (Bouvier, 1929); Angola, Central African Republic, probably Congo and DR Congo
Epiphora conjuncta (Bouvier, 1930); same as feae
Epiphora cordieri (Bouvier, 1928)
Epiphora cotei (Testout, 1935)
Epiphora damarensis Schultze, 1913, Namibia
Epiphora elianae Rougeot, 1973, synonym of fournierae
Epiphora feae Aurivillius, 1910
Epiphora gabonensis (Testout, 1935)
Epiphora getula Maassen & Weymer, 1885
Epiphora imperator (Stoneham, 1933)
Epiphora intermedia (Rougeot, 1955)
Epiphora lecerfi (Testout, 1935)
Epiphora liberiensis (Bouvier, 1928) Ivory Coast; = boolana according to Bouyer
Epiphora lugardi Kirby, 1894
Epiphora macrops Bouvier, 1929
Epiphora magdalena Grünberg, 1930
Epiphora manowiensis (Gschwandner, 1923)
Epiphora marginimacula Joicey & Talbot, 1914
Epiphora mineti Darge, 1994
Epiphora modesta (Bouvier,1936)
Epiphora mythimnia (Westwood, 1849)
Epiphora niepelti (Gschwandner, 1925); same as feae; according to Bouyer
Epiphora nubilosa (Testout, 1938)
Epiphora obscura Dufrane, 1953
Epiphora pelosoma W. Rothschild, 1907
Epiphora perspicua (Butler, 1878)
Epiphora pygmaea (Bouvier, 1929)
Epiphora rectifascia W. Rothschild, 1907
Epiphora rufa (Bouvier, 1929)
Epiphora schultzei Aurivillius, 1905; same as bauhiniae according to Bouyer; Chad, Cameroon
Epiphora styrax Darge, 1994
Epiphora testenoirei (Bouvier, 1929)
Epiphora testouti (Rougeot, 1948)
Epiphora torquata (Bouvier, 1929)
Epiphora vacuna (Westwood, 1849)
Epiphora vacunoides (Testout, 1948)
Epiphora victoria (Maassen & Weyding, 1885)
Epiphora weymeri Druce

On April 4, 2007, I received a nice stack of papers authored or co-authored by Stefan Naumann. Included in the stack was a copy of "Notes on the group of Epiphora antinorii (Oberthur, 1880) with description of a new species (Lepidotera: Saturniidae: Saturniinae: Attacini)", printed July 16, 2006.

In this work Dr. Naumann shares what is currently known about the Epiphora from the antinorii group. I offer the following summary of Dr. Naumann's work.

The wing pattern of Epiphora magdalena is very similar to Epiphora antinorii. "As long as no genitalia preparations exist, the taxonomic status remains somewhat unclear." (SN)

Epiphora marginimacula is quite distinct with its yellowish colour and wide and well marked postmedian area.

Epiphora ducalis (status unclear/unavailable) attributed to Grunberg is identical to marginimacula.

Epiphora imperator is a small brownish-red species, originally described from Kenya. It appears distinct from E. magdalena.

Epiphora cotei from Malawi seems more closely allied to E. testouti than to E. antinorii.

Epiphora fournierae Lemoult, 1945 (status unclear): the type specimen never was figured and the actual original specimen has not been located. Dr. Naumann, indicates, based on type locality, fournierae is probably either antinorii or a senior synonym of elianae.

Epiphora ugandensis Testout, 1948 (status unclear): no figures or actual specimens can be found. Testout mentions, in his notes, different ornamentation in the marginal areas of the wings, distinguishing the moth from very similar antinorii and marginimacula.

Epiphora elianae Rougeot, 1974 (status somewhat unclear). Rougeot mentions genitalia are different from antinorii, but there are no known descriptions or pictures of antinorii genitalia. This moth may be distinct or it may yet prove to be antinorii.

Epiphora imperator from Kipengere Range, Ikonda, Tanzania, 2050m (and northern Malawi in Rumphi district: Nyaka Forest: and southwest Tanzania: Mbeya Province: Mporoto Forest) appears distinct from antinorii, but the abdomen has been removed from the type specimen in the museum in Paris (MNHN). No one seems to know where the original imperator genitalia reside. They may no longer exist.

Epiphora rotunda Naumann, 2006: new species based on both different appearance and examination of genitalia. Specimens have been taken from Ngorogoro, Tanzania (February 29, 1989), and from Mt. Kenya East, West Chogoria, Kenya (October 3-5, 2001 at 2900m).

Epiphora rotunda is a relatively large species (forewing length 61-65mm) compared to other members in the antinorii group. Wings are noticeably fuller (not so elongated) and more rounded. Hence the species name rotunda. The postmedian line intersects the inner margin at very close to a ninety degree angle and continues almost straight to the costa. In most other antinorii group species, the pm line is much more oblique, almost paralleling the outer margin. The submarginal ornamentation is broad and brown in colour rather than the carmine or reddish brown found in similar species.

The Barcode of Life Data Systems lists the following Epiphora species:

Epiphora aequatorialis
Epiphora albida albida
Epiphora albida noigamagetana
Epiphora antinorii
Epiphora atbarina
Epiphora bauhiniae
Epiphora bauhiniae damarensis
Epiphora bauhiniae sudanica
Epiphora bauhiniae vera
Epiphora bedoci
Epiphora berliozi
Epiphora boolana
Epiphora boursini
Epiphora congolana
Epiphora damarensis, Namibia
Epiphora elianae, synonym of fournierae
Epiphora feae
Epiphora fournierae, Lemoult, 1945, Ethiopia
Epiphora gabonensis
Epiphora imperator
Epiphora intermedia
Epiphora kipengerensis
Epiphora liberiensis
Epiphora lugardi
Epiphora macedoi
Epiphora macrops
Epiphora magdalena
Epiphora manowensis
Epiphora marginimacula
Epiphora mineti
Epiphora mythimnia
Epiphora pelosoma
Epiphora perspicua
Epiphora ploetzi
Epiphora rectifascia
Epiphora rectifascia ileshana
Epiphora rectifascia rectifascia
Epiphora rectifascia watulegei
Epiphora rotunda
Epiphora schultzei
Epiphora sp.
Epiphora styrax
Epiphora vacuna
Epiphora vacuna berliozi Gabon
Epiphora vacuna ploetzi
Epiphora vacuna vacuna
Epiphora vacunoides
Epiphora werneri

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