Orthogonioptilum luminosum
or-thoh-goh-nee-op-TIL-umMloo-mih-NOH-sum
(Bouvier, 1930) Carnegia

Orthogonioptilum luminosum (male), Cameroon, courtesy of Eric van Schayck.
http://www.saturniidae-mundi.de/Oschayck/schayck.htm

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Micragoninae, Cockerell, 1914 Genus: Orthogonioptilum, Karsch, 1893

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

DISTRIBUTION:

Orthogonioptilum luminosum (wingspan: males: 45-61mm; females: 70-75mm) flies in Cameroon, Gabon, southwestern C.A.R. and northern Congo: Ouesso (SA#8). I suspect it also flies in Equatorial Guinea including Bioko Island.

This moth is the same as guilloteaui and vitreatum.

In the male, the forewing is quite falcate. The ground colour is grey-beige, blended with olive brown in the discal cell area. The transverse line is well marked and is also olive brown. The am and pm lines are thin but clear.

On each wing there is one large clear oval "window", bridged over by two or three other smaller "windows". The underside is the same.

Orthogonioptilum luminosum (male), Cameroon, courtesy of Eric van Schayck

In the female, the forewing outer margin is convex. The protuberance at the apex is long and thin. The very large clear area makes for easy identification. On each wing there is a small dark spot near the center of the large hyaline area.

Orthogonioptilum luminosum, Central Province, Cameroon,
June, courtesy of Otso Reunanen.

The subspecies O. luminosum vitreatum is a bit larger with a more acute forewing apex. It is also browner and the windows are larger.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

This moth flies in June.

Orthogonioptilum luminosum larval hosts are unknown.

Orthogonioptilum luminosum vitreatum (female), Cameroon, courtesy of Eric van Schayck

The above specimen might be nominate Orthogonioptilum luminosum as Orthogonioptilum luminosum vitreatum is supposedly limited to Gabon.

Orthogonioptilum luminosum female, June, Cameroon, courtesy of Otso Reunanen.

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.

There are many collectors from different countries whose intonations and accents would be different.

The genus name Orthogonioptilum refers to the nearly right angle at the anal angle of the forewing.

The species name is probably for the very large "windows" on all wings and for the brighter colouration as compared to males of other similarly marked species.