DISTRIBUTION:

Aurivillius triramis (wingspan: males: 100-103mm; females: 102mm and probably larger) flies in
Ivory Coast: Adiopodoumé, Azagny, Azaguie, Mount Tonkoui (SCI);
Cameroon: South West Province: Mt. Cameroon (FL); Sud Province: Elone (SB); Centre Province: Yaounde (FL) Est Province: Yokadouma (MC); and
Gabon: Haute-Ogooue: Franceville (JLA). Julius Busingye reports it from
Uganda. Thierry Bouyer confirms it from
People's Republic of the Congo: Ouesso (SA#8);
Kenya;
Tanzania; and
Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has also been reported from Bioko Island (TB) and I suspect it also flies in Guinea. I suspect (now confirmed (SA#12)) it also flies in the Republic of Central Africa: Sangha: Ndoki PN; as well as in Ghana (AM), Togo and Benin.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS: Aurivillius triramis moths fly in February-March. In Franceville, Gabon, it flies in May (Jean-Louis Albert) and possibly in other months. Philippe Darge reports specimens taken in November in Franceville, Haut-Ogooue, Gabon. Sebastian Brandner reports a September flight in Elone, Cameroon. SCI report idicates flights in Ivory Coast: Adiopodoumé (July, September, December); Azagny (near Abidjan (January)); Azaguié (February); Mont Tonkoui (March). Michelle Constanza, via Antoine Guyonnet, reports a January 7, 2011 flight of Aurivillius triramis in Yokadouma, Est Province, Cameroon. Larvae feed on Silk tree (Albizia). The underside is much different from the dorsal surface. Identification is by Philippe Darge.

Aurivillius triramis male, Ghana,
courtesy of Jason Wright, via Alan Marson,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Aurivillius triramis female, Ghana,
courtesy of Jason Wright, via Alan Marson,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females scent and attract males at night by releasing an airbourne pheromone. Males fly in a zigzag pattern into the wind to pick up the pheromone plume with their antennae. Both sexes come to lights with males most common around midnight.

Aurivillius triramis female, copyright protected, Kirby Wolfe.

Aurivillius triramis female, Elone, Cameroon, September 27, 2006
wingspan 100mm, courtesy of Sebastian Brandner

Aurivillius triramis female (verso), Elone, Cameroon, September 27, 2006
wingspan 100mm, courtesy of Sebastian Brandner

EGGS, LARVAE AND PUPAE:

Eggs are a translucent yellow and are deposited in groups of 6-10 on foodplant leaves.

Mature larvae descend tree trunks to pupate in subterranean chambers.

Aurivillius triramis male, Franceville, Gabon, May 21, 2006,
wingspan 103mm, courtesy of Jean-Louis Albert

Aurivillius triramis, (verso) Franceville, Gabon, May 21, 2006,
wingspan 103mm, courtesy of Jean-Louis Albert

Aurivillius triramis male, Elone, Cameroon, September 27, 2006
wingspan 100mm, courtesy of Sebastian Brandner

Aurivillius triramis male (verso), Elone, Cameroon, September 27, 2006
wingspan 100mm, courtesy of Sebastian Brandner

Larval Food Plants

The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Albizia.......

Silktree

Aurivillius triramis, Gabon, courtesy of Rodolphe Rougerie.

Aurivillius triramis female, Gabon, id by Bill Oehlke

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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.

"Aurivillius" is the last name of Dr. Per Olaf Aurivillius, a famous collector of lepidoptera and coleoptera.

The reason for the species name, triramis, is unknown to me, but it probably refers to three spines on a section of male genitalia.