Southern African Mothss Dagbok

Of course we all know that phane worms are found on mopane trees but what other trees do they thrive on ?
Mopane trees - Colophospermum mopane are found north of Windhoek, Polokwane and Palapye in Botswana,
See a distribution map of the trees here.
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/428749-Colophospermum-mopane

Gonimbrasia belina are found also far further south where there is a very low possibilty that there are any mophane trees.
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/119995-Gonimbrasia-belina
So what do these southern mophane worms eat and what is there fav food here ?

I live in an area of rocky basalt hillsides in Serowe, Central Botswana where there are no Colophospermum mopane trees nearby. There are a few which have been experimentally planted about 12 km to the East. However adult mopane moths are abundant in November, attracted to light in my garden. I have never seen a mopane worm on trees in my area despite a lot of searching.
I wonder how far the adult can fly ? 12 km ?

Common trees in my neighbourhood ( with the most abundant at the top) are
vachellia tortilis
Terminalia prunioides
Senegalia nigrescens
combretum imberbe
Sclerocarya birrea
Elaeodendron transvaalense
Kirkia acuminata
Ziziphus mucronata
Vachellia nilotica
Combretum molle
Commiphora glandulosa
Senegalia mellifera
Pappea capensis
Peltophorum africanum
Commiphora mollis
Bridelia mollis
Gymnosporia senegalensis
Dichrostachys cinerea
Dombeya rotundifolia
Vachellia luederitzii var. luederitzii

Which of these are Phane worms most likely to eat and survive on to reach adulthood ?

What are the experiences of other people looking for the host plants of mopane worms ?

Here are some inat observations of mopane worms and their host plants south of the colophospermum mopane tree area. Please help ID these host plantsl
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/11176658
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/68631358
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/144409824
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/102756529

Perhaps iNaturalist will be able to find more information about the host plants of mophane worms.
Does anyone have more information about host plants. Please include it in the comment section.
Thank you.

Tony Benn from Serowe, Central Botswana.

Hermann's book is out, and it is a must have!

Authoritative and informative, Southern African Moths & their Caterpillars provides a comprehensive overview of the moth fauna of the region.

Featuring more than 1,500 of the 11,000 species occurring in southern Africa.
The guide features the most abundant species, and those of economical or ecological importance, conspicuous or unusual.
The guide offers:

• Authoritative text richly supported with photographs of both adult moth and larva.
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As the only substantive and up-to-date guide to the rich moth fauna of the wider southern African region, this volume fills a gap in the natural history books of Africa. Furthermore, it includes data from citizen science project The Caterpillar Rearing Group to depict caterpillar stage and respective host plant/s for a sizeable proportion of the southern African moth fauna. Based on more than 270,000 location records, preferred habitats and point-based distribution maps are provided for the first time. A crucial addition to our understanding of the wildlife of the African continent.

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1 COCCOTHERA (Tortricidae)

https://metamorphosis.org.za/articlesPDF/1718/2023.06.15%20Metamorphosis%2034%2050-58%20Larsen%20Coccothera%20Final.pdf

Abstract: A new species from Africa is described in the genus Coccothera Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Grapholitini). Coccothera albolineana spec. nov. Laspeyresia nicomacha Meyrick, 1921 is transferred to Coccothera Meyrick, 1914 comb. nov. The unknown male is described and a full description of the hitherto only partly known female genitalia is presented. Coccothera ferrifracta Diakonoff, 1968 is a synonym of Coccothera spissana (Zeller,1852) syn. nov. The genus Coccothera Meyrick, 1914 now
contains eight species. Faunistic and distributional information of Coccothera spissana (Zeller, 1852), C. nicomacha (Meyrick, 1921) and C. albolineana spec. nov. is also presented.

Here are the southern African inat observations that may be coccothera.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=113055&subview=map&taxon_id=640844

From Kruger's List (using old Family concepts: DNA & new species will upset this, so as of about 2020) we have

about 10,800 species (incl. Butterflies) in these families (**** with over 1000 observations in Jan 2023):

1,587 Erebidae Tiger Moths ****
1,563 Geometridae Geometer Moths ****

983 Noctuidae Owlet Moths ****
631 Pyralidae Pyrilid Snout Moths ****
598 Gelechiidae Twirler Moths
540 Crambidae Crambid Snouth Moths ****
[509 Lycaenidae Butterfly - Blues] ****

[324 Nymphalidae Butterflies: Brush-footed] ****
309 Tortricidae Torticid Leafroller Moths ****
276 Tineidae Clothes Moths
237 Lasiocampidae Lappet Moths ****
237 Notodontidae Prominent Moths

176 Scythrididae Flower Moths
175 Gracillariidae Leaf Blotch Miner Moths
160 Nolidae Tufted Moths ****
[155 Hesperiidae Buttterfiles: Skippers] ****
146 Psychidae Bagworm Moths ****
126 Limacodidae Slug Caterpillar Moths
125 Nepticulidae Pygmy Eye-capped Moths
125 Pterophoridae Plume Moths
121 Sphingidae Hawk Moths ****

98 Sesiidae
95 Cossidae
93 Elachistidae
92 Oecophoridae
86 Cosmopterigidae
86 Saturniidae Emperor Moths ****
82 Eupterotidae Monkey Moths ****
81 Hepialidae
74 Thyrididae
73 Adelidae
[64 Pieridae Butterfly: Whites] ****
61 Metarbelidae
55 Lecithoceridae

48 Euteliidae
39 Coleophoridae
37 Zygaenidae
34 Eriocottidae
30 Autostichidae
28 Alucitidae
27 Yponomeutidae
25 Bucculatricidae
23 Stathmopodidae
22 Lyonetiidae
[22 Papilionidae Butterfly: Swallowtails] ****
20 Uraniidae

18 Batrachedridae
18 Glyphipterigidae
16 Xyloryctidae
15 Opostegidae
13 Carposinidae
13 Himantopteridae
12 Blastobasidae
12 Choreutidae
12 Micropterigidae
12 Prototheoridae
11 Brachodidae
11 Cecidosidae
11 Epermeniidae
10 Lacturidae
10 Tischeriidae

9 Drepanidae
9 Hyblaeidae
8 Bombycidae
8 Plutellidae
6 Acrolepiidae
6 Lypusidae
6 Somabrachyidae
5 Heliozelidae
5 Ithomiidae
5 Symmocidae

4 Anomoeotidae
4 Argyresthiidae
4 Brahmaeidae
4 Epipyropidae
4 Immidae
3 Galacticidae
3 Pterolonchidae

2 Bedelliidae
2 Castniidae
2 Copromorphidae
2 Dudgeoneidae
2 Hibrildidae
2 Nemeobiidae
2 Praydidae
2 Prodoxidae
2 Pterothysanidae
2 Ypsolophidae
1 Acanthopteroctetidae
1 Attevidae
1 Incurvariidae
1 Prodidactidae
1 Sematuridae

End January 2023.

113,898 observations of 2,879 species by 5,857 observers
1,956 identifiers have made 173,128 identifications.

Of the 113,898 observations

• 29,368 (26%) are to order level (ie. Lepidoptera) Help ID them here
• 12,182 (11%) are to family level Help ID adults here and Help ID pillars here ***
• 6,714 (6%) are to tribe level
• 12,615 (11%) are to genus level Help ID adults here and Help ID pillars here ***
• 13,376 (12%) are to species, but still need an ID Help ID adults here and Help ID pillars here ***
• 39,447 (35%) are research grade.

*** (it will be eaiser if you add your favourite families into the species box, to filter them out)

The most Common families identified on iNaturalist in southern Africa are:

• 22,796 (27%) Erebidae Tiger Moths
• 14,375 (17%) Geometridae Geometer Moths

• 10,872 (13%) Noctuidae Owlet Moths
  .

• 7,120 (8%) Crambidae Crambid Snouth Moths
• 4,539 (5) Sphingidae Hawk Moths
• 3,988 (5%) Lasiocampidae Lappet Moths
• 3,037 (4%) Pyralidae Pyrilid Snout Moths

• 2,944 (3%) Saturniidae Emperor Moths
  .

• 1,789 (2%) Nolidae Tufted Moths
• 1,349 (2%) Eupterotidae Monkey Moths
• 1,201 (1%) Tortricidae Torticid Leafroller Moths
• 1,137 (1%) Psychidae Bagworm Moths

Most common species (>250 observatioins) dentified on iNaturalist in southern Africa - (see the current rankings status here)

836 Eutricha capensis Cape Lappet
760 Mesocelis monticola Mountain White-Spot
746 Rhodogastria amasis Brown Tricolour Tiger Moth
702 Utetheisa pulchella Crimsonspeckle Footman

699 Cyligramma latona Creamstriped Owl
669 Diaphone eumela Cherry Spot
622 Sphingomorpha chlorea Sundowner Moth
611 Helicoverpa armigera African Bollworm Moth

454 Hippotion eson Common Striped Hawkmoth
431 Acherontia atropos Death's Head Hawkmoth
424 Nudaurelia cytherea Pine Emperor
420 Paralacydes vocula Zebra Ermine
415 Rhodometra sacraria Vestal
408 Macroglossum trochilus African Hummingbird Hawkmoth

399 Hippotion celerio Silverstripe Hawkmoth
382 Bunaea alcinoe Cabbage Tree Emperor
379 Grammodes stolida Stolid Lines
325 Asota speciosa Specious Tiger
310 Brithys crini Lily Borer

284 Amata cerbera Heady Maiden
275 Spoladea recurvalis Banded Sable
268 Agrius convolvuli Convolvulus Hawkmoth
252 Thyretes caffra Bar Maiden

https://naturalhistorymuseum.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2015/10/African-Moths-Project.pdf

A belated welcome.

This Umbrella Project replaces the Collections Project for southern African Moths.

The main advantage is that it allows each country to maintain its own journal of news, events, summaries and projgress, and allowing those who would like an overall summary to join this project as well.

To benefit maximally, join as many projects as you are interested in. You will then get updates on your dashboard for any news.
The project will also automatically display alongside any observations of yours that qualify.

Have fun.

Looking for an activity that’s safe, fun and enriching for all ages while social distancing or sheltering at home?

The ninth annual National Moth Week, July 18-26, invites novice and experienced “moth-ers,” alike, to observe these fascinating creatures in their own backyards and contribute to our scientific knowledge as part of one of the world’s largest citizen science projects.

As people likely will continue avoiding crowds this winter to slow the spread of COVID-19 infections, National Moth Week (NMW) offers the opportunity to learn about night-time nature from the safety of backyards and gardens; porches, decks and balconies – anywhere a light can be turned on.

Information and registration at www.nationalmothweek.org