Micragone neonubifera
Updated as per Pinhey's Emperor Moths of South and South-Central Africa, 1972, April 30, 2006
Updated as per Bouyer's Catalogue of African Saturniidae, 1999, April 30, 2006
Updated as per Natural History Museum website, April 30, 2006
Updated as per personal communication with Thierry Bouyer, 2006
Updated as per personal communication with Jean-Louis Albert, September-October, 2006; (June 2010: female: 81mm)
Updated as per personal communication with Sebastian Brandner, April, 2008
Updated as per personal communication with Michelle Constanza, via Antoine Guyonnet
(Cameroon: Est: Yokadouma; December 24, 2010); January 15, 2011

Micragone neonubifera
mye-kragh-GOHN-neeMnee-oh-noo-bih-FER-uh
Rougeot, 1979

Micragone neonubifera male courtesy of Eric van Schayck

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Saturniinae Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Tribe: Micragonini Cockerell in Packard, 1914 (1902)
Genus: Micragone, Walker, 1855

MIDI MUSIC

"Moon River"
copyright C. Odenkirk

ON.OFF
<bgsound src="moon.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Micragone neonubifera (wingspan: males: approximately 61-68mm; females: approx. 81mm) flies in
Democratic Republic of the Congo;
Cameroon: Sud and Est: Yokadouma (MC);
Gabon;
Malawi;
People's Republic of the Congo;
Tanzania (all confirmed by Thierry Bouyer except PRC.). I suspect it also flies in northeastern Zambia.

Micragone neonubifera male, Cameroon, courtesy of Eric van Schayck, id by Thierry Bouyer.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This moth has been taken in Gabon in April and again in September-October.

Sebastian Brandner reports a June flight in Cameroon.

Michelle Constanza, via Antoine Guyonnet, reports a December flight of Micragone neonubifera in Yokadouma, Est Province, Cameroon.

Micragone neonubifera male, 66mm,
on my home computer only.

Micragone neonubifera male, Franceville, Haute-Ogooue, Gabon, September 3, 2006,
wingspan 68mm, courtesy of Jean-Louis Albert, id by Bill Oehlke.

Micragone neonubifera male (verso), Franceville, Gabon, September 3, 2006,
wingspan 68mm, courtesy of Jean-Louis Albert, id by Bill Oehlke.

Micragone neonubifera female, Franceville, Haute-Ogooue, Gabon, April 27, 2008,
wingspan 81mm, courtesy of Jean-Louis Albert, tentative id by Thierry Bouyer.

Micragone neonubifera larval hosts are unknown.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

I suspect females call and pair at night.

Micragone neonubifera female, verso, 25km south of Lomie, Reserve du Dja, Cameroon,
400m to 800m, June 09-30, 2007, courtesy of Sebastian Brandner, id by Thierry Bouyer.

Micragone neonubifera male, Franceville, Gabon, October 16, 2006,
wingspan 61mm, courtesy of Jean-Louis Albert, id by Bill Oehlke.

Micragone neonubifera male (verso), Franceville, Gabon, October 16, 2006,
wingspan 61mm, courtesy of Jean-Louis Albert, id by Bill Oehlke.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

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.



Use your browser "Back" button to return to the previous page.

Return to Micragone Index

Return to Main Index

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.

Micragone comes from the Greek words for a small contest, according to Pinhey.

The species name, 'neonubifera', means 'new-bearing a cloud' and probably refers to the dark patch below the forewing apex in nubifera which it greatly resembles.