Southern African Mothss Dagbok

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

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