Cirina forda ( Westwood, 1849 )

Mbata, Keith J. & Prins, Jurate De, 2023, Annotated checklist of moths of Zambia (Insecta: Lepidoptera), Zootaxa 5354 (1), pp. 1-503 : 151-152

Cirina forda ( Westwood, 1849) *

COMMON NAME (S): Pallid Emperor, Pallid Emperor Moth, Emperor moth, Shea Defoliator or Edible caterpillar (at least in

Zambia). SYNONYM(S): Perisomena semicaeca Walker, 1855 ; Sculna invenusta Wallengren, 1860 ; Cirina cana Felder C. & Felder R., 1874 ;

Saturnia cervina Westwood, 1881 ; Cirina similis Distant, 1897 ; Cirina orientalis Bouvier, 1827 .

IUCN STATUS: Not Evaluated (NE).

DISTRIBUTION: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Zambia.

LOCALITY IN ZAMBIA: Riverside Motel ( RIMO) ** in Kafue , in Lusaka Province ; Kaoma, ** in Western Province ; Kopa, ** in Muchinga Province ; Kasempa and Kabompo, in Northwestern Province .

LARVAL HOSTPLANT(S): The African Moths (2019) website lists the following as larval foodplants of the taxon: four Fabaceae species, Schotia sp. , Acacia nilotica (L.) Delile, Albizia versicolor Oliv. and Burkea sp .. Two Apocynaceae species, Carissa macrocarpa (Eckl.) A.DC. and Carissa spinarum L..; one Meliaceae species, Ekebergia capensis Sparrm. ; three Anacardiaceae species, Ozoroa mucronata (Bernh.) R. Fern. & A. Fern. , Protorhus longifolia (Bernh.) Engl. and Schinus mole L. ; one Leguminosae species, Erythrophleum suaveolens (Guill. & Perr.) Brenan ; one Ebenaceae species, Euclea undulata Thunb. ; two Sapindaceae species, Hippobromus pauciflora Radlk. and Pappea capensis Eckl. & Zeyh. ; one Sapotaceae species, Sideroxylon inerme L.; one yet to be identified Canellaceae species, Warburgia sp. , and one Rubiaceae species, Crossopteryx febrifuga (Afzel. ex G.Don) Benth ..

SOURCES: African Moths 2019; Darge 2014a; De Prins & De Prins 2022; Malaisse 1997; Pinhey 1972b; Saturniidae of the World 2019.

Genus Decachorda Aurivillius, 1898