DISTRIBUTION:

The Athletes nyanzae moth (wingspan: males: 163-180mm; females: 186mm) flies in
Cameroon: Sud Province: Elone (SB), probably across southern Cameroon; and
Gabon: Haut-Ogooue: Franceville (JLA).

SCI reports it from
Ivory Coast: Adiopodoume, March; so I suspect it also flies in Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria, and possibly further west, based on the report from Ivory Coast.

Julius Busingye also reports it from Uganda. If these records are true, it probably can also be found in the Central African Republic, Congo: Ouesso (SA#8) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire. The species name nyanzae would indicate it flies near Lake Victoria Nyanza (Lake Victoria), governed by Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.

Athletes nyanzae male, Turiani Village, Kambora, northeastern Tanzania,
February 16, 2002, courtesy of Hubert Mayer.

The sharp, elongated projections of the forewing am line, on and just below the costa, are distinctive. The forewings also seem narrow and elongated.

Athletes nyanzae male (possibly subspecies bousqueti??), Ghana,
courtesy of Jason Wright, via Alan Marson.

Athletes nyanzae female (possibly subspecies bousqueti??),
courtesy of Jason Wright, via Alan Marson.

FLIGHT TIMES AND LARVAL HOSTS:

This moth flies in March in Cameroon and possibly at other times. Hubert Mayer has taken a male in northeastern Tanzania in February. Jean-Louis Albert has taken specimens in February in Franceville, haut-Ogooue, Gabon.

Athletes nyanzae larval hosts are unknown. Jean-Louis Albert sends the following recto and verso images, taken in Franceville, Gabon, February 13, 2007.

Athletes nyanzae male, Franceville, Gabon, wingspan: 180mm, February 13, 2007,
courtesy of Jean-Louis Albert, digital repair to outer margins by Bill Oehlke

Athletes nyanzae male, Franceville, Gabon, wingspan: 180mm, February 13, 2007,
courtesy of Jean-Louis Albert

Visit Athletes nyanzae male, 163mm, Franceville, Haut-Ogooue, Gabon, February 12, 2010, courtesy of Jean-Louis Albert.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Both sexes are active at night. Males come in to lights around midnight when females are scenting. Females have a much straighter forewing outer margin compared to males, and females lack the tails of the male.

Athletes nyanzae female, March 16, 2006, Elone, Cameroon, 600m,
courtesy of Sebastian Brandner.

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Pupation is in the soil in a subterranean chamber.

Larval Food Plants

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

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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, "Athletes" means "contestant" and is from the Greek language.

The species name, "nyanzae" means 'of Nyanza', probably referring to Victoria Nyanza.