Nephele bipartita
Encyclopedia
Nephele bipartita is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. It is known from lowland forest and heavy woodland from West Africa to the coast of Kenya
and Tanzania
and to Malawi
and Mozambique
.
The length of the forewings is 34-38 mm. It is very similar to Nephele monostigma
, but the olive dorsal spots of the abdomen are larger, the black lateral spots are not separated by brownish buff, but by the ground colour and the forewings are not falcate. The ground colour is pale yellowish olive and the area beyond the dark diagonal bar is dark brown except at the costa and apex. The stigma is absent. The hindwings are dark olive brown, but darker at the apex and termen.
The larvae feed on Landolphia species. They have a purple brown head, densely speckled with pale dots and a darker mark shaped like an inverted V. The body is dark brown with a black dorsal line which is edged indistinctly with pinkish.
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 lowland forest and heavy woodland from West Africa to the coast of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
and to Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
and Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
.
The length of the forewings is 34-38 mm. It is very similar to Nephele monostigma
Nephele monostigma
Nephele monostigma is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is known from highland forests in the Cameroon, Uganda and Kenya.The length of the forewings is 30-32 mm. It is very similar to Nephele lannini, but slightly smaller, the wings are narrower and the forewings are more mottled with ochreous...
, but the olive dorsal spots of the abdomen are larger, the black lateral spots are not separated by brownish buff, but by the ground colour and the forewings are not falcate. The ground colour is pale yellowish olive and the area beyond the dark diagonal bar is dark brown except at the costa and apex. The stigma is absent. The hindwings are dark olive brown, but darker at the apex and termen.
The larvae feed on Landolphia species. They have a purple brown head, densely speckled with pale dots and a darker mark shaped like an inverted V. The body is dark brown with a black dorsal line which is edged indistinctly with pinkish.