Page 412 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Saturniidae
DISTRIBUTION East and southeast African coastal areas, from Somalia south to
South Africa
HABITAT Tropical forest patches and savannahs
HOST PLANTS Many, including Bauhinia spp. and Wild Fig (Ficus chordate)
NOTE Large-headed caterpillar that is edible
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated

ADULT WINGSPAN
4–4½ in (100–115 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
3⅜ in (85 mm)
MELANOCERA MENIPPE
CHESTNUT EMPEROR
410
WESTWOOD, 1849

The Chestnut Emperor caterpillar is all black when it hatches
from its brown-and-white mottled egg. It soon joins its siblings
on a leaf, where they begin feeding. In captivity, the caterpillars
have fed on Hong Kong Orchid leaves (Bauhinia blakeana) for
73 days, only during daylight, developing through six instars,

before evacuating their guts and wandering around to nd a
place to bury themselves and pupate in the soil. When day length
and climatic conditions are right, the beautiful, chestnut-red
adult crawls out and spreads its wings.

There are eight species of Melanocera throughout Africa. Adults
are similar in color and size but with identifying di erences. The

caterpillars of the Chestnut Emperor, like those of other African
wild silkmoths, are used for food by humans. Women climb
The Chestnut Emperor caterpillar is shiny the trees to collect them, or the larvae are smoked from below,
black with a reddish-brown head and markings, causing them to drop to the ground. It is now prohibited to cut
which vary over its range of distribution. The
skin feels granular and rough to the touch. down the trees they feed upon.
The dorsum is studded with short, backwardly
curved, harmless, eshy thorns, which assist
digging in preparation for pupation. The true
legs are black, and the prolegs are brown.

Actual size