Usta terpsichore

Usta terpsichore
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Saturniidae
Genus: Usta
Species: U. terpsichore
Binomial name
Usta terpsichore
(Maassen & Weymer, 1885)
Synonyms
  • Saturnia terpsichore Maassen & Weymer, 1885
  • Heniocha abyssinica Aurivillius, 1898
  • Usta yaere Darge, 1994

The Cavorting Emperor (Usta terpsichore) is a species of moths in the Saturniidae family. It is found in Angola, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.[1]

The larvae feed on Commiphora caryaefolia, Sclerocarya caffra, Melia azedarach and Schinus molle. Fully grown larvae are about 80 mm long.

The larvae are used as food by locals. They are rich in iron, copper, zinc, thiamine and riboflavin. It is also relatively high in calcium and phosphorus compared to many insects.[2]

Subspecies

Some sources list a number of subspecies, while others treat most of these as full species and/or synonyms:

References