Rhodogastria amasis
Appearance
Tri-coloured tiger moth | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
Family: | Erebidae |
Subfamily: | Arctiinae |
Genus: | Rhodogastria |
Species: | R. amasis
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Binomial name | |
Rhodogastria amasis (Cramer, 1779)
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Synonyms | |
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Rhodogastria amasis, the tri-coloured tiger moth, is a moth in the family Erebidae. It was described by Pieter Cramer in 1779. It is found in Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe.[1]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Rhodogastria_amasis_Arctiidae_Tiger_moth_larva_IMG_1008s.jpg/200px-Rhodogastria_amasis_Arctiidae_Tiger_moth_larva_IMG_1008s.jpg)
The larvae feed on Acacia, Calodendrum, Cassia, Cestrum, Clerodendrum, Cotyledon, Passiflora caerulea, Rhus, Senecio, and Tagetes species.[2] Though they are heavily armed with irritant urticating hairs they are readily eaten by fiscal flycatchers and Cape robin-chats that scrub off their hairs against the ground and swallow the larvae whole. Some cuckoos eat the larvae too.
References
[edit]- ^ De Prins, J. & De Prins, W. (2017). "Rhodogastria amasis (Cramer, 1779)". Afromoths. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ Savela, Markku (ed.). "Rhodogastria Hübner, [1819]". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved November 20, 2017.