COELONIA FULVINOTATA MOTH |
BUTTERFLIES SAFARI OF SOUTH AFRICA CLICK FOR DOWNLOAD PDF --------------------------------- Classification Phylum Arthropoda Class Insecta Order Lepidoptera Family Sphingidae Tribe Acherontiini Genus Coelonia Species C.Fulvinotata
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COELONIA FULVINOTATA Coelonia fulvinotata is a moth of the family Sphingidae first described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1875. It is known from most habitats throughout the Afrotropical realm, from the Gambia east to Ethiopia and south to northern South Africa and Madagascar.
SYNONYMS: Protoparce fulvinotata, Protoparce mauritii, Coelonia mauritii.
The length of the forewing is 52-55 mm for males and the wingspan is 101-111 mm. The body and wings are brown, with two bright pink dorsal hair tufts at the base of the abdomen. The forewings are mottled and variegated with lighter brown and dark indistinct wavy lines. The hindwings are darker, with a black basal patch surrounded by a large ochreous yellow patch. Females are larger and darker. The subapical area of forewings is much paler and more conspicuous.
LARVAL FOODPLANTS:
Lantana camara, Fraxinus floribnda, Clerodendrum heterophyllum, Clerodendrum paniculatum, Clerodendrum splendens, Cordia caffra, Dahlia varibilis, Dahlia pinnata, Duranta plumieri, Duranta erecta, Ipomoea, Markhamia lutea, Acanthus pubescens, Aeschynanthus longicaulis, Spathodea nilotica, Solanum torvum.
The Sphingidae belong to the Superfamily Sphingoidea. Members of this family are commonly called "hummingbird," "sphinx," or "hawk" moths, and some can be mistaken for hummingbirds. Most are medium to large moths, with heavy bodies; wingspread reaches 5 inches or more in some species. The Sphingidae are strong and fast fliers, with a rapid wingbeat. Most species in the group are active at dusk, and most feed much like hummingbirds, hovering in front of a flower and sipping nectar through the extended proboscis. The proboscis rolls up when not in use. Some species lack scales on large portions of their wings, resulting in transparent or clear wings. In most species, the larval stage is called a "hornworm" because the caterpillar's posterior end has a harmless hook or hornlike appendage protruding upward. Unfortunately, the caterpillar of some species can be very destructive to agricultural crops and ornamental plantings.
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