Campimoptilum kuntzei
Goodia kuntzei
GOOD-ee-uhMKUNTZ-eye
(Dewitz, 1881) Saturnia

Campimoptilum kuntzei male copyright Kirby Wolfe

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Saturniinae Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Tribe: Micragonini Cockerell in Packard, 1914 (1902) Genus: Goodia, Holland, 1893

MIDI MUSIC "Moon River" copyright C. Odenkirk ON.OFF <bgsound src="moon.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION: Moths previously assigned to the Goodia genus have been reassigned to either Campimoptilum or Yatanga or remain in Goodia. This species is now designated as Campimoptilum kuntzei. In some classification systems Campimoptilum is treated as a subspecies of Goodia, and thus you see captions below as Goodia (Campimoptilum) kuntzei. Campimoptilum kuntzei, the Lunar Prince, (wingspan: males: 40-50mm; females: 45-70mm), inhabits eastern South Africa northwards to eastern Africa. The species also occurs in Namibia; Botswana; Malawi; Zambia: Luapula Province: S. Mwense (SA8); Copper Belt (WO?) Tanzania; Angola; Zimbabwe; and Democratic Republic on the Congo: Katanga (NV). Campimoptilum kuntzei male, courtesy of Thierry Bouyer.

The Natural History Museum lists it from Guinea.

Bouyer, 1999, equates ansorgei (Kirby, 1896) from Uganda (Lasioptila) and ochraceum Aurivillius, 1901, with kuntzei.

Cooper and Cooper classify this moth as Campimoptilum kuntzei.

Campimoptilum kuntzei, Tanzania, courtesy of David Bygott.

For some reason moths tend to rest with the abdomen drawn slightly to one side. Perhaps it is more a case of gravity pulling the body straight down while it is the wings which are not parallel to the ground while resting.

Pinhey describes this species as being quite variable with regard to colouration. That may be true, or perhaps some of the colour variations are indicative of closely related but different species?? The dark female (below) from Sakania, Katanga, DRC, has me wondering.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This moth flies from November to March (September-April in South Africa where it prefers dry habitats). In South Africa the main hostplants are Lowveld Bauhinia or Pride of de Kaap and Paperbark Thorn (Acacias siberiana). In Zimbabwe the Sickle Bush is prefered.

Nigel Voaden reports November and January flights in Sakania, Katanga, southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Goodi (Campimoptilum) kuntzei (female), South Africa, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.

Goodia (Campimoptilum) kuntzei (female), South Africa, courtesy of Joan Young.

Goodia (Campimoptilum) kuntzei female, Sakania, Katanga,
Democratic Republic of the Congo,
February 19, 2013, courtesy of Nigel Voaden,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

Goodia (Campimoptilum) kuntzei male, Sakania, Katanga,
Democratic Republic of the Congo,
November 14, 2013, courtesy of Nigel Voaden,
tentative id by Bill Oehlke.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING: Females fly early at night with males on the wing around midnight, the calling time of females. Both sexes come in to lights. In Zimbabwe males appear to be absent and females reproduce parthenogenetically (without pairing), in such cases producing only female offspring. Campimoptilum kuntzei female, courtesy of Thierry Bouyer.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited in small groups of 4-12 on twigs or hostplant leaves. Larvae are solitary feeders and grow to lengths of 5cm in either the green form or the black-tufted form.

In Namibia the likely foodplant is Dicrostachys cinera, The Sickle Bush. Larvae descend the foodplant at pupation time and construct a flimsy cocoon in debris at the base of the hostplant.

Campimoptilum kuntzei larva copyright Kirby Wolfe

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.

Acacia sieberiana Bauhinia galpinii Bauhinia petersiana Berlinia globifera Berlinia paniculata Brachystegia randii Brachystegia spiciformis Brachystegia venosa Deinbollia Dicrostachys cinera Isoberlinia magnistipulata....... Julbernardia globiflora Julbernardia magnistipulata Julbernardia paniculata Millettia

Wattle/Paperbark Thorn Lowveld Bauhinia/Pride of the Cape White Bauhinia Mnondo Mnondo Msasa Msasa Msasa Deinbollia Sickle Bush Isoberlinia magnistipulata Mnondo Mnondo Mnondo Millettia

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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.

Goodia might?? be honourific for botanist Peter Good.

The species name 'kuntzei' is honourific for Kuntze.