DISTRIBUTION:

Orthogonioptilum caecum (wingspan: male: 62mm; female: 78mm) flies in the
Congo: Brazzaville; and
probably in southeastern Gabon.

Thierry Bouyer lists it for Gabon without a specific location. I suspect it may be in Ngounie, Ogooue-Lolo and Haut-Ogooue, near the border with the Congo.

The antennae are a bright yellow-brown and are quadripectinate for the basal two thirds of their length.

The tarsi are creamy white, encircled with large brown-black rings.

The body and wings are a yellowish-brown, brighter in the basal area and in the region of the cell.

The forewing is elongated with a sharp apex. The tansverse line is weak but present in the median area. The pm line is dark and prominent, highlighted on the inside with yellow and on the outside with grey. The am line is present but is not as prominent. The "points of light" seem totally absent.

The hindwing pm line is also well marked while the am line is straight and thick/bushy. There are three miniscule dark grey marks in a triangle, replacing the more common "points of light". The anal angle of this wing is not lobed, but quite pointed.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This moth flies in June and possibly at other times.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

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.

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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.

Orthogonioptilum comes from the Greek words for right-angle and wing, according to Pinhey.

The species name, 'caecum', is from Latin, meaning "blind" and might have been chosen for the seeming absence of "points of light" on all wings.