Tagoropsis hecqui
Updated as per Pinhey's Emperor Moths of South and South-Central Africa, 1972, April 25, 2006
Updated as per Bouyer's Catalogue of African Saturniidae, 1999, April 25, 2006
Updated as per personal communication with Thierry Bouyer, May 2006
Updated as per personal communication with Teemu Klemetti (hecqui Uguanda: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, October); November 2009

Tagoropsis hecqui
tah-gor-OPS-ihsmmHEK-kwuh-eye
Bouyer, 1989

Tagoropsis hecqui, male, 76mm, Uganda, Kabale District, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Ruhija Ranger Station Surroundings,
2300m, October 21-25, 2008, T. Klemetti & J. Jokinen leg, courtesy of Teemu Klemetti.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Saturniinae Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Tribe: Urotini, Packard, 1902
Genus: Tagoropsis, R. Felder, 1874

MIDI MUSIC

"African Midi Music"

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

DISTRIBUTION:

Tagoropsis hecqui (wingspan: males: 76mm; females: probably larger) flies in
Rwanda: Nyungwe;
southwestern Uganda: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (TK);
Burundi: Teza; and in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Kivu; and
possibly in the People's Republic of the Congo, Africa.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Tagoropsis hecqui moths are on the wing in October (TK)-November and possibly at other times. Larvae probably feed on Allophyllus africanus, Allophylus melanocarpus, Allophylus subcoriaceus and Schmidelia africana.

Tagoropsis hecqui, female, Kivu, Mulungu, Dem. Rep. Congo, November,
courtesy of Lepidoptera Types of the Royal Museum for Central Africa

Tagoropsis hecqui, female, (verso), Kivu, Mulungu, Dem. Rep. Congo, November,
courtesy of Lepidoptera Types of the Royal Museum for Central Africa

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females emit an airbourne pheromone at night and males track the scent with their antennae by flying in a zigzag pattern into the wind.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:


Larval Food Plants


Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae and/or on various internet sites. 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.

Allophyllus africanus
Allophylus melanocarpus.....
Allophylus subcoriaceus
Schmidelia africana

Allophyllus africanus
Allophylus melanocarpus
Allophylus subcoriaceus
Schmidelia africana

Return to Tagoropsis genus

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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 Tagoropsis is from the Greek and probably means "easily recognized".

The species name "hecqui" is probably honourific for collector J. Hecq.


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