DISTRIBUTION:

Antinori's Atlas, Epiphora antinorii, (wingspan: males: 90-108mm; females: ) is one of the few Attacini in Africa. Dr. Stefan Naumann indicates (July 2006) that Oberthur's descriptional work is based on a single specimen taken in Ethiopia, Shewa province, Choa, near Debre Birhan at elevation of 2000m. The genitalia of this specimen, which resides in the Museo Civico di Storia naturale "Giacomo Dorio" in Genova, Italy, have not been examined.

Specimens are taken only in Ethiopia, according to T. Bouyer.

Pinhey, 1972, indicates it is also found in Malawi and Zambia (Nyika region), but I think Pinhey had confused E. antinorii with E. imperator.

BOLD Systems indicates it flies in
Eritrea and
Kenya as well as in Ethiopia.

Epiphora antinorii male, 90mm, sorry, image not available.

Scarcely falcate forewing length ranges from 57-68 mm, and there is no inner basal-median stripe on the forewing or hindwing.

The outer postmedian pinkish-red and white lines on the hindwing are evenly curved (straight or only slightly curved near the costa on the forewing), and the crescents on all four wings are approximately the same size.

D'Abrera indicates E. antinorii specimens have a wide, dark postmedian band that widens at the bend approaching the anal angle. In E. imperator this same band is even throughout, becoming slightly narrower toward the anal angle.

In the image of Testout's hand coloured painting of a moth from Tanzania (indicated by Oberthur to be antinorii) in Naumann's 2006 publication, the hindwing postmedian band widens slightly (is angular instead of evenly and smoothly curved) at the bend beginning its middle third.

Until the genitalia of the museum specimen are examined and compared to imperator, there will probably be some disagreement as to a warranted distinction between those two species. I suspect that they are distinct.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Epiphora antinorii larvae probably feed on Fraxinus berlandieriana.

Epiphora antinorii male, 108mm, sorry, image not available.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Epiphora antinorii 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 (wider) than those of the male.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

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

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.

Fraxinus berlandieriana.....

Berlandier ash

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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 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 "antinorii" is honourific for Orazio Marchese Antinori. (Pinhey)

Eiphora antinorii male, D'Abrera, on my home computer only.

Eiphora antinorii male-underside, D'Abrera, on my home computer only.

Note the rectangular dark segments forming the post median band; in E. imperator the outer edges form rounded projections.