Page 413 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Saturniidae
DISTRIBUTION West Africa, including Guinea, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone,
and Togo
HABITAT Tropical forest patches and savannah
HOST PLANTS Unknown; in captivity has fed on Laurel Sumac (Malosma laurina)
NOTE Yellow or black silkmoth caterpillar that is edible
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated

ADULT WINGSPAN
2–2¾ in (50–70 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
2⅛ in (55 mm)
MICRAGONE HERILLA
MICRAGONE HERILLA 411

WESTWOOD, 1849

The Micragone herilla caterpillar can be seen inside its squarish,
translucent yellow egg several days before it hatches. The rst

instar is pale yellow with a black head and is sparsely covered in

sti , reddish hairs. In captivity, caterpillars have been observed
feeding together on leaves of Laural Sumac, developing two
totally distinct forms of colors and patterns by the third instar.

At the end of the fth instar, they had all spun a loose cocoon
among debris above ground, with the first adult emerging
six weeks later.

Micragone herilla adults are sexually dimorphic. As in most
species of giant silkmoth, the females are much larger than
the males, enabling them to transport their heavy eggs
while they search for a preferred host plant on which to place
them. The Micragone genus contains 31 species that belong The Micragone herilla caterpillar has at least
to the Micragonini tribe of the Bunaeinae subfamily of two color forms. One is mostly yellow, with
black bands containing black scoli encircling
Saturniidae, and in Africa most caterpillars of these species each segment. The scoli are longer dorsally,
are eaten as food. all carrying long, curved, black hairs. The other
form is mostly black, with red bands and scoli
sporting pale yellow hairs.

Actual size