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Diapalpus congregarius

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Species of moth

Diapalpus congregarius
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lasiocampidae
Genus: Diapalpus
Species: D. congregarius
Binomial name
Diapalpus congregarius
(Strand, 1913)

Diapalpus congregarius is a moth species of the family Lasiocampidae. It was first described in 1913 by Embrik Strand and is the type species of genus Diapalpus. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania.

Description

Immature stages

Larvae of Diapalpus congregarius are hairy, with a black body with a central yellow longitudinal stripe and a dark brown head with a broad yellow longitudinal line. Pupae are brown, held in a grey-white silk cocoon of approximately 30–40 mm length.

Imago

Adults have a wing span of 40–45 mm. Forewings are bright grey-brown, with a single dark dot in the cell. Hindwings are off-white with a narrow brown fringe.

Behaviour

Diapalpus congregarius occurs in a single yearly generation, with adults on wing from November to January. Larvae pupate in densely packed fibrous nests hanging from twigs on a large variety of trees. Such nests are most commonly 10–30 cm long, but may reach a length of up to 60 cm and a width of 20 cm depending on the number of cocoons contained. Trees may hold several such nests.

Host plants

Larvae are polyphagous, nocturnal feeders, and are known to occur on species of Fabaceae (Acacia sp.), Caesalpiniaceae (Brachystegia sp.), Euphorbiaceae (Bridelia micrantha), Moraceae (Ficus sp.), Malvaceae (Gossypium sp.) and Poaceae (Pennisetum purpureum).

References

  1. ^ De Prins, J.; De Prins, W. "Diapalpus congregarius". Afromoths, online database of Afrotropical moth species (Lepidoptera). Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  2. ^ Morstatt, H. (1921). "Die wilden Seidenraupen in Ostafrika". Arbeiten aus der Biologischen Reichsanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft.: Zehnter Band. 10 (3): 278–281. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  3. Sevastopulo, D. G. (1976). "A list of the food plants of East African Macrolepidoptera". Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society. 35 (311): 95. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
Taxon identifiers
Diapalpus congregarius


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