Serrodes partita, the catapult moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. It is found in western, eastern, central, and southern Africa,[1] India, Indonesia (Borneo, Java) and Sri Lanka.[2][3]

Catapult moth
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Genus: Serrodes
Species:
S. partita
Binomial name
Serrodes partita
(Fabricius, 1775)
Synonyms
  • Noctua partita Fabricius 1775
  • Ophiodes basisignum Walker, 1858
  • Phalaena inara Cramer, 1780
  • Phoberia korana Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874

Description

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The wingspan of the adults is approximately 60 mm. The head, thorax, and forewings are dark, red, or greyish brown—with a sub-basal dark red-brown spot on the costa, with a line from its lower edge. A similar antemedial area and large lunule are found below the cell with a highly excurved line from its lower edge. Reniform is broken up into several tessellated spots with pale edges and rufous marks on the costa above it. A double straight postmedial line angled below the costa. The abdomen and hindwings are fuscous. Hindwings have traces of a medial pale line. Cilia paler at the apex and anal angle.[4]

They feed on plants such as Prunus persica, Sapindus saponaria, Sapindus trifoliatus,[5] Pappea capensis, Sapindus saponica, Grewia occidentalis, Citrus, Deinbollia oblongifolia, Acacia, Deinbollia pinnata, Eucalyptus blobulus, and Leptospermum laevigatum.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Serrodes partita, (Fabricius, 1775) Catapault Moth". African Moths. Archived January 16, 2013.
  2. ^ De Prins, J. & De Prins, W. (2018). "Serrodes partita (Fabricius, 1775)". Afromoths. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  3. ^ Holloway, Jeremy Daniel. "Serrodes Guenée". The Moths of Borneo. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  4. ^ Hampson, G. F. (1894). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume II. Taylor and Francis – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  5. ^ "Serrodes partita". Global Species. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  6. ^ "Serrodes partita (Fabricius, 1775)". African Moths. Retrieved 15 August 2016.