Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Saturniidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Tribe Saturniini | |
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Similar Antheraea frithi, Antheraea, Antheraea godmani, Antheraea helferi, Antheraea assamensis | ||
The South India small tussore (Antheraea paphia) is a moth of the Saturniidae family found in India and Sri Lanka.
Contents
Description
Male is reddish or yellowish in color. Costal brown and grey fascia of forewings reaching the apex. Hyaline and ocellated spots are much larger than that of Antheraea roylei. The sub marginal line of the hind wings close to the margin. There is no marginal yellow line. Female may be pinkish brown or bright yellowish fawn in color. Hyaline and ocellated spots are larger than male. Larva green colored with paired dorsal series of yellow humps. White lunulate spots on 5th and 6th somites have purple border, whereas a lateral yellow line from 7th somite ending in a dilated brown band on anal somite. Spiracles are yellow in color. The cocoon is brownish grey in color, hard, and oval, attached to the host plant by a silken peduncle.
Ecology
The larvae feed on several trees such as Anogeissus latifolia, Terminalia tomentosa, T. arjuna, Lagerstroemia parviflora, and Madhuca indica, and the silk that composes their cocoons is sometimes used in the production of Tussar silk.