150 Rhodesian Moths 
The moth is also common about Victoria (Fort Victoria, not Victoria 
Falls) and the Makaranga of the Victoria district call the caterpillar 
‘“arati.” They eat it with as much avidity as the Mashonas about 
Salisbury do. 
Unlike all other large moths of the family Saturniide, this species 
rests with both wings erect and folded together. 
The caterpillar in the last two instars is black, very soft, and rather 
thickly covered with long white downy hairs. It usually pupates in 
March or April, and the moth as a rule emerges in November. I 
have known one or two instances in which the imago did not leave the 
pupa-case until the middle of February. 
The male of this Saturniid varies much in both size and colour. 
Small examples have a wing expanse of only 95 mm. or thereabouts, 
while large specimens expand as much as 135 mm. The ground- 
colour of both wings may be light greyish-buff, grey with a pink flush, 
tawny, or ochreous-red. The light markings of the fore-wing are 
white in the buff and grey specimens, light pink in the reddish 
examples. 
The female is much less variable in colour, the ground-colour of the 
fore-wing and very broad hind-marginal band of the hind-wing being 
nearly always chocolate-brown or reddish-chocolate. The white bands 
of both wings and white sub-apical patch of the fore-wing are much 
larger and better defined than in the male: the wing expanse ranges 
from 130 mm. to 145 mm. 
BUNA ALCINOE, Stoll. 
This widespread moth is extremely abundant in the Salisbury 
district, its conspicuous larve often completely denuding a tree 
(Cussonia spicata) with very large leaves. In this district both males 
and females are markedly variable in colour, some of the former being 
beautifully tinted with pink or lilac. The Mashonas call the cater- 
pillars “‘mashondjgwa” and devour them in great numbers. These 
caterpillars feed rapidly and are easy to rear, and bred specimens of 
the moth are usually as large as those that have fed in the open, 
expanding from 160 mm. to 175 mm. across the wings. A dwarf 
male, the pupa of which I kept in a hot, dry place, has a wing expanse 
of only 104 mm. and is of exceedingly light colour. 
Bunx#A HEROUM, Oberth. 
This very large and beautiful Buna is by no means uncommon 
around Salisbury, and I have heard of its occurrence at Victoria. 
