DISTRIBUTION:

Cirina butyrospermi flies in
Ivory Coast (Alain Van Vyve);
Mali;
Guinea; and
Burkina Faso (Rodolphe Rougerie), Africa, where the larvae are eaten by humans.

Cell markings appear weak on all wings for this species from western Africa.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This moth seems associated with Butyrospermum paradoxa in western Africa.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Cirina butyrospermi adults mate and fly at night. The urge to oviposit is so strong that females seldom visit lights without having first deposited all their eggs.

Both sexes rest with all wings folded together rather than flattened.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

Eggs are laid in a single large cluster around the tips of foodplant twigs.

Larvae are extremely gregarious in all instars. They are smooth with thin yellow stripes in the first three instars before taking on the hairy, speckled appearance of the final two moults.

Pupation is under the soil.

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.

Butyrospermum paradoxa .......

shea tree/vitellaria/karité

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