Macropoliana natalensis
Encyclopedia
Macropoliana natalensis is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. It is known from forests and moist woodland from KwaZulu-Natal
to Ethiopia
and westwards to Cameroon
, Ghana
and Sierra Leone
.
The length of the forewings is 55-70 mm for males and 65-75 mm for females and the wingspan
is 107-126 mm. The forewings are very pale grey with wavy blackish transverse bands and a whitish stigma. There are two short longitudinal blackish streaks in the centre of the wing. The head is pale grey and the thorax is pale grey surrounded dorsally by black lines edged internally with yellow. The abdomen is pale grey, mottled and faintly spotted with darker grey. The hindwings are dark greyish brown, with a large pale grey patch near the tornus. Females are larger, have broader forewings and are usually darker and more heavily marked.
The larvae feed on Spathodea nilotica, Spathodea campanulata, Markhamia lutea and Brachystegia
species. The larvae are generally pale green, but turn olive-purple immediately before pupation. Pupation takes place under ground in a dark brown pupa.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Sphingidae
Sphingidae
Sphingidae is a family of moths , commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms, that includes about 1,200 species . It is best represented in the tropics but there are species in every region . They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid,...
family. It is known from forests and moist woodland from KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
to Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and westwards to Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
.
The length of the forewings is 55-70 mm for males and 65-75 mm for females and the wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 107-126 mm. The forewings are very pale grey with wavy blackish transverse bands and a whitish stigma. There are two short longitudinal blackish streaks in the centre of the wing. The head is pale grey and the thorax is pale grey surrounded dorsally by black lines edged internally with yellow. The abdomen is pale grey, mottled and faintly spotted with darker grey. The hindwings are dark greyish brown, with a large pale grey patch near the tornus. Females are larger, have broader forewings and are usually darker and more heavily marked.
The larvae feed on Spathodea nilotica, Spathodea campanulata, Markhamia lutea and Brachystegia
Brachystegia
Brachystegia is a genus of tree of the sub-family Caesalpinioideae that is native to tropical Africa. Trees of the genus are commonly known as Miombo, and are the predominant tree in the Miombo woodlands of central and southern Africa.-Species:...
species. The larvae are generally pale green, but turn olive-purple immediately before pupation. Pupation takes place under ground in a dark brown pupa.