As the larval stage of the mopane worm is fairly short, in contrast to other browsing caterpillars, the extensive damage to foliage is easily survived by the tree, in time to be replenished for the next generation of mopane worms. At African moths we hope to publish as many photographs of live and set specimens as possible, with or without identification, so that as comprehensible a data base as possible can be assembled. There is Nothing as Punk Rock as the Spiky Peacock Butterfly Caterpillar, What Would Happen to Planet Earth if Worms Vanished, Woman’s Home Overrun with Organisms and Strange Matter Due To Moisture Problem, Little Clear Larvae on Plants are Dark Posy Caterpillars, How to Identify the Species of a Generic, White Larva, Minuscule White Worms Found in Coffee Resemble Threadworms a/k/a Pinworms, Segmented, Worm-like Creature on Bed Cover is a Black Carpet Beetle Larva, Cream Colored, Tailed Worm in Toilet is a Rat-tailed Maggot, Stubby, Segmented Worm-like Creature Found in Lounge is a BSFL, Small Cream Colored Worms Show Up in the Mornings on this Woman’s Patio, Brown, Stick-like Worm Found on Deck is a Stick Caterpillar, “What parasite is this?” Asks Man About Irregularly-shaped Blue Worm. (Quoted ch.17 DeFoliart 2003). The nice thing about emperor moths is that they often have very distinctive wing markings. That’s right, Emperor Moths in South Africa. Spotted on Nov 9, 2011 Submitted on Jun 4, 2012. and Holm, E. 1985. They are then dried in the sun or smoked, whereby they gain extra flavour. 10 Comments Not sure if you can identify caterpillars from Africa but the picture of one attached is ‘bugging’ us. Now that we know where Newcastle is, we need to determine if it is common to find African Emperor Moths there. Both the orange hindwings and the greyish forewings have undulating dark cross lines and a large ‘eye mark’. Tineidae - Fungus Moths Eriocottidae - Old World Spiny-Winged Moths Psychidae - Bagworm Moths Schrenchensteiniidae - Bristle-Legged Moths Gracillariidae - Leafminer Moths Superfamily: Gelechioidea Oecophoridae - Concealer Moths Gelechiidae - Twirler Moths Coleophoridae - Casebearer Moths Wings are fawn coloured through shades of green and brown to red, with two black and white bands isolating the eyespots. Larvae are black, peppered with round scales in indistinct alternating whitish green and yellow bands, and armed with short black or reddish spines covered in fine white hairs. Mopane worm outbreaks defoliate shrubs, depriving game of browse. Spotted for Missions. Emperor Moths in KwaZulu Natal Province May (or May Not) be Far From Home. African bollworm 3. The male Emperor Moth is smaller than the female with a wingspan of about 65mm. Provided that the larva has not been harvested after its fourth moult, it burrows underground to pupate, the stage at which it undergoes complete transformation to become the adult moth. [1][12] Fenced-in browsing animals may rely on the mopane, and on other trees favoured by the caterpillars, as an important part of their diet. Project Noah is a tool that nature lovers can use to explore and document local wildlife and a Below there are photographs to two examples, the Gonimbrasia zambesina on top and the Bunaea alcinae below. The mopane worm is so-called in English because it is usually found on the mopane tree, Colophospermum mopane. The adult wasp had penetrated the live caterpillar(s) with her ovipositor and laid eggs inside the caterpillar. This species is native to the warmer parts of southern Africa. However, traditional mopane worm harvesting is evolving to be more commercially driven. Common caterpillars on crops in South Africa Caterpillar pest 1. Creatures Great & Small: Mopane Moth Southern Africa is home to a very interesting tree that is host to an even more interesting insect. In some areas, farmers and communities have taken steps to reach a balance, so that each year may yield maximum returns without compromising the following year's harvest. The eyespots are a defense mechanism that can, among other things, deter potential predators from attacking. These are the larvae of yet another emperor moth, Gonimbrasia belina, sometimes called the anomalous emperor. "Insect and host plant species of Central Africa: scientific names", "The Mopane worm — A popular African delicacy", "Incredible Creatures: Just Eat It – Insects as Food", "An idea with legs: Company that turns bugs into food a top finisher in competition", A Concise Summary of the General Nutritional Value of Insects, Worming your way to a sustainable harvest, Effects of Elevated Ultraviolet-B Radiation on Native and Cultivated Plants of Southern Africa, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gonimbrasia_belina&oldid=990500080, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Northern Sotho-language text, Articles containing Southern Ndebele-language text, Articles containing Northern Ndebele-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Caterpillar atop a mango leaf, and the adult male (note feathered antennae), This page was last edited on 24 November 2020, at 20:50. This is a list of moth species which have been recorded in South Africa.Because of the large number of species from South Africa, some families are listed on separate pages. Tineidae - Fungus Moths Eriocottidae - Old World Spiny-Winged Moths Psychidae - Bagworm Moths Schrenchensteiniidae - Bristle-Legged Moths Gracillariidae - Leafminer Moths Superfamily: Gelechioidea Oecophoridae - Concealer Moths Gelechiidae - Twirler Moths Coleophoridae - Casebearer Moths