Melanocera menippe

Melanocera menippe (Melanocera menippe)

Phylum — arthropoda
Class — insecta
Order — lepidoptera
Family — saturniidae

Genus – melanocera

Appearance

The caterpillars are dark red with transverse rows of black spines. The wingspan reaches 14 cm. The body of the butterfly is covered with hairs. Males have feathery antennae. The wings are red-brown or light brown. All wings have black eyespots with white edging. The edges of the wings are lighter, trimmed with a white line.

Habitat

Melanocara menippe is found in Africa.

Behavior

Butterflies are active in the dark.

Diet

Larval foodplants – Ficus cordata, Ochna atropurpurea, Acacia mearnsi, Bauhinia galpini.

Reproduction

For their reproduction you need a terrarium with a size of 70 x 70 x 90 cm. The caterpillars should be kept in the number of 6-8 insects in a mesh terrarium. Forage plants should be replaced every 3-4 days. At the bottom you can put wet paper towels that need to be replaced every day. The cocoon is gray. The pupa is brown.

In captivity

The mesh terrarium with a size of 70 × 70 × 90 mm is suitable for keeping butterflies. Room temperature is necessary. Adult butterflies of this species do not feed and live off the stocks accumulated during the larval period.