| The large eggs are laid in clusters
of 4-5 on mopane leaves. They are shining white so they are easily seen
from a distance. When the caterpillars hatch they are brown with spikes
and relatively large heads (see above)
The fully grown caterpillars are
large, 12-13 cm long, and as thick as a man's thumb. It is pale green with
many white dots and has a red and white stripe along the body. The caterpillar
is quite difficult to find in the mopane tree although it is so large.
The adult moth is one of the largest
Emperor moths. The wings are a pale brown colour with large eye spots.
The moth is often noticed flying at night to the security lights and resting
on the ground or walls next morning. |
