DISTRIBUTION:

Ubaena dolabella (wingspan: males: 85mm +; females: ) flies in eastern Africa, (northern Malawi and probably southern Tanzania). It is officially recorded in Nyassa.

Ubaena dolabella male, Malawi, BOLD Systems.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Ubaena dolabella larvae feed on Pinus patula and Pinus radiata.

Ubaena dolabella female, Malawi, courtesy of Andreas Riekert.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Eclosion is from underground pupae.

Both sexes fly at night with the males coming in to lights around midnight, the scenting time of the females.

Ubaena dolabella, Malawi, BOLD Systems.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Larvae pupate under soil near base of trees.

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.

I do not know the source of Ubaena, but it probaly comes from a latinized form of Ubena, a region which lies in Tanzania just north-east of Lake Nyasa. Pinhey indicates it is an anagram of Bunaea.

The species name is probably derived from Dolabella, one of Octavius Caesar’s unscrupulus men, who is assigned to guard the captive Cleopatra. However, it could also be from Polish mythology, where Dola are the protective spirits which embody human fate. They can appear in the guises of a God, a cat, a man, a mouse or a woman (bella). They have their own preferences and provinces; and they would hound you if you made choices that were not planned by Fate.

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.

Pinus patula Pinus radiata.....

Patula pine Monterey pine

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Ubaena dolabella male, 85mm, Malawi, BOLD Systems.