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Updated as per
Pinhey's Emperor Moths of South and South-Central Africa, 1972, April 17, 2006 Updated as per Bouyer's Catalogue of African Saturniidae, 1999, April 17, 2006 Updated as per personal communication with Thierry Bouyer, May 2006 Updated as per personal communication with Jean-Yves Rasplus (Quiterajo Reserve, Cabo Delgado, Mozambique; December 2008); December 2009 |
Antistathmoptera daltonae rectangulata, male, Quiterajo Reserve, Cabo Delgado Reserve, northeastern Mozambique,
December 3, 2008, collected by Jean-Yves Rasplus with friends Nicolau Madogolele and
Michel Martinez; (11°49'59"S - 40°21'36.64"E).
TAXONOMY:Superfamily: Bombycoidea Latreille, 1802 |
"African Midi Music" |
DISTRIBUTION:Antistathmoptera daltonae rectangulata flies in the Zambesi valley of Zimbabwe (Rolf Oberprieler) and in Mozambique (Thierry Bouyer), near the Rhodesia-Zambia border, and in southeast Zambia (Thierry Bouyer), Africa.Thierry Bouyer confirms it for southern Malawi. The moths occur in low-lying forest and are only on the wing normally after midnight.
The subspecies rectangulata Pinhey (forewing length: 50-55mm) is smaller than nominate daltonae. The outer margin of the forewing is very convex and the the apex is narrowly produced. The body and wing colours of males are highly variable ranging from orange-yellow, deep orange brown, olive brown and red-brown to grey-brown. In orange or pinkish-red specimens the thorax may have grey markings.
Antistathmoptera daltonae rectangulata, male, Quiterajo Reserve, Cabo Delgado Reserve, northeastern Mozambique,
FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:
These moths seem to have a flight season from December-January til April,
probably as a single brood.
ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:Females emit an airbourne
pheromone and males track the scent with their antennae by flying in
a zigzag pattern into the wind.
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Cordyla pinnata ....... ?? |
Bushmango/muTondo |
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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.
Some of the early describers/namers chose genus
and species names indicating some character of the insect, but more
often, they simply chose names from Greek or Roman mythology or
history. Those species names which end in "ensis" indicate a
specimen locale, and those which end in "i", pronounced "eye", honour
a contempory friend/collector/etc.
According to Pinhey, 1972, "Antistathmoptera"
means "wings not formed with a carpenter's chalk line", and this undoubtedly
refers to the unusual shape of the wings.
The species name, "daltonae" is honourific for a female railway worker,
Mrs. Edith Dalton, of Tanga in northeastern Tanzania.
The subspecies name, "rectangulata", probably refers to the
right-angled hindwing apex.