Africa Wild Insect Book: Moths (Lepidoptera)

[Toko]

Agaristinae is a subfamily of noctuoid moths, placed in family Noctuidae. The adults are called "Day Moths" because they fly in daylight hours. In this way they differ from most other moths. The adult moths are distinctively marked.

[Toko]

Trimen's False Tiger Agoma trimenii
Family: Noctuidae. Subfamily: Agaristinae

© BluTuna
Kruger National Park, Crocodile Bridge Camp

Description
A very vwriable moth with bright orange hindwings.

Distribution
DRCongo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Links: African Moths

[BluTuna]

Butler's False Tiger Heraclia butleri
Family: Noctuidae. Subfamily: Agaristinae

© BluTuna
Kruger National Park

Description
A beautifully coloured day-flying moth. Wingspan: 60 mm.

Distribution
DR Congo, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Links: African Moths

[Toko]

Cream Cake, Sleepy Tiger Ovios capensis
Family: Noctuidae. Subfamily: Agaristinae

© BluTuna
Kruger National Park, Pretoriuskop

Description
Forewing olive green and white with small red dots on black edge, latger black-edged red spots in the centre. Hindwing yellowish with macular black outer band and a lunar black disk spot.

Distribution
Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Links: African Moths

[Toko]

Catocalinae is a subfamily of noctuoid moths, placed in family Noctuidae. In the alternative arrangement, where Noctuidae are reduced to the core group around the Noctuinae, the present lineage is abolished, the upranked Catocalini being merged with the Erebini and becoming a subfamily of the reestablished family Erebidae.

Many of the species are large (7 to 10 cm) and have brightly colored hind wings. Hind wings have a terminal black spot and fringes between the M3 and Cu1 vein of the wings. The forewing mostly unimpressive black, grey or brown.
The Caterpillars of Catocalinae are usually smooth, lacking obvious hairs.

[BluTuna]

Echo Moth Achaea echo
Family: Noctuidae. Subfamily: Catocalinae
or: Family: Erebidae. Subfamiy: Calpinae

© BluTuna
Garden in Randburg

Distribution
It is found from Equatorial West Africa to Zimbabwe, including Sierra Leone, Ghana, Swaziland and South Africa.

Biology
A fruit-piercing moth.
The larvae feed on Poaceae and Panicum species, but have also been recorded on Citrus.

Links: African Moths

[BluTuna]

White Chain Moth Calesia zambesita
Family: Noctuidae. Subfamily: Catocalinae
or: Family: Erebidae. Subfamiy: Calpinae

© BluTuna
Kruger National Park, Tsendze camp

Description
Head and fore part of thorax orange. Abdomen crimson above. Fore wings with a white streak extending in the disk from the base, with a white spot in a line with the streak, and with an exterior oblique band of eight white spots. Hind wing with indistinct spots.

Distribution
Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Biology
Larval foodplants: Dyschorista thunbergiiflora, Thunbergia erecta

Links: African Moths

[BluTuna]

Wavy Owl Moth Calliodes pretiossima, Calliodes rivuligera
Family: Noctuidae. Subfamily: Catocalinae
or: Family: Erebidae. Subfamiy: Ebreinae

© BluTuna
Kruger National Park

Distribution
DRCongo, Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Habitat
Found in bushveld (savannah) and forest habitats around the north western and eastern regions.

Links: African Moths

© BluTuna
Kruger National Park, Maroela camp

[ExFmem]

Vermiculous Cerocala vermiculosa
Family: Noctuidae. Subfamily: Catocalinae
or: Family: Erebidae. Subfamily: Erebinae


Nossob Walking Trail (November), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Distribution
Botswana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

[Toko]

Faint Owl Cometaster pyrula
Family: Noctuidae. Subfamily: Catocalinae
or: Family: Erebidae. Subfamiy: Ebreinae

© Super Mongoose
Marakele National Park, Bontle campsite's bathroom

Description
Wingspan about 30 mm. Antennae of male bipectinate; all the tibiae spined. Fore wing grey-white, the basal and costal areas irrorated with brown; the costal edge dark brown towards base; a slight oblique waved subbasal line from costa to' submedian fold; antemedial line black-brown, slight and acutely angled outwards in npper angle of cell, then forming a narrow band, very oblique to inner margin near base where there are a few silvery blue scales on it; a large inverted comma-shaped discoidal mark, its centre black with some red-brown at middle.

Distribution
Botswana, DRCongo, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Links: African Moths

© steamtrainfan
Pilanesberg, Manyane