DISTRIBUTION: The White Atlas, Epiphora albida (wingspan: males: approximately 143-158mm; females: larger) is one of the few Attaciini in Africa. Specimens are regularly taken in Cameroon: South West Region: Mt. Cameroon (FL); Centre Region: Mt. Kala (SB); Est Region: Yokadouma (MC); probably Littoral and Sud. The moth is honoured on a stamp from the Republic of Central Africa. It is also reported in East Africa and Uganda. Rodolphe Rougerie, Thierry Bouyer and Jean-Louis Albert report it from Gabon.

D'Abrera also reports it from Cameroon,
Congo Brazzaville: Ouesso (SA#8),
Zaire = Democratic Republic of the Congo: Bomane, Lower Aruwimi; and
Angola to
western Kenya where it flies as subspecies E. a. noigamagenta.

The Natural History Museum adds
Ghana,
Guinea and
Sudan.

Epiphora albida male, Rabi, Gabon, November 24, 2006 courtesy of Jerome Teva Paire.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

In Gabon, moths are on the wing in March-April-May and possibly at other times. Philippe Darge reports it in Franceville, Haut-Ogooue, Gabon, in February. Jean-Louis Albert reports it from the same area in April and also in October. Jerome Teva Paire reports them in southwestern Gabon (Rabi, Ogooue-Maritime) in late November. Forbi Lucas reports them in Cameroon: South West Region in August. Michelle Constanza, via Antoine Guyonnet, reports a January 6, 2011, flight of Epiphora albida in Yokadouma, Est Province, Cameroon. K D Dijkstra reports a May flight in DRC.

Epiphora albida, October 10, 2006, Franceville, Gabon,
wingspan: 158mm, courtesy of Jean-Louis Albert.

Epiphora albida (verso), October 10, 2006, Franceville, Gabon,
wingspan: 158mm, courtesy of Jean-Louis Albert.

Epiphora albida larvae feed on Citrus, Maesopsis eminii, Paullinia, Zanthoxylum macrophyllum and Fagara macrophylla.

Epiphora albida male, Cameroon, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Epiphora albida male, Bomane, Lower Aruwimi, DRC,
May 20, 2010, courtesy of K D Dijkstra.

Epiphora albida underside, Cameroon, courtesy of Bill Oehlke

The hindwing ventral surface is also completely white except for the marginal area, and the forewing white-rose band is also quite wide.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Epiphora albida females extend a scent gland from the posterior tip of the abdomen to call in the night-flying males.The pair remains coupled until the following evening.

The wings of the female are more rounded than those of the male.

Females have more fully developed antennae as compared to females of most other Saturniidae genera.

Epiphora albida female, courtesy of Teemu Klemetti.

Epiphora albida female, Cameroon, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Epiphora albida female, Mont Kala, 18km west of Yaounde, Cameroon,
March 14, 2007, 1250m, courtesy of Seabstian Brandner

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

The cocoon is double walled and resembles the cocoon of the Hyalphora.

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae and/or on various internet sites. 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.

Citrus Fagara macrophylla..... Maesopsis eminii Paullinia Zanthoxylum macrophyllum.......

Citrus East African Satin Wood Muhumula/Musira Guarana Hercules' club

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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.

"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 reason(s) for the choice of Epiphora as the genus name, but perhaps the large hyaline areas on the wings of mythimnia (specimen type) with the thick white and yellow borders, were suggestive of watery, encrusted eyes.

The species name, "albida" is for the abundance of white, particularly on the hindwings.