This key is based on the descriptions in Häuser & Boppré's paper (see references below). Southern Africa in this key covers South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia and Malawi.
Distribution data is based on what H&B included from specimens only - therefore distributions are probably wider for most species than stated.
1a. Forewings white, ivory or very pale grey |
2 |
1b. Forewings pale or dark brown, grey, grey-brown or ochre |
9 |
2a. Large moth (33-36 mm forewing) with dark brown band along median and margin with transparent area between, distribution SA, Zimbabwe |
A. magnifica
Photo by Ricky Taylor |
2b. Smaller moths without broad brown bands |
3 |
3a. Abdomen white dorsally, yellow ochre ventrally, no spots on tergulae, distribution Angola |
A. rufifemur
|
3b. Abdomen not as above, 1 or 2 spots on tergulae |
4 |
4a. 2 spots on tergulae, abdomen red dorsally, white ventrally, distribution Angola |
A. niveivitrea
|
4b. 1 spot on tergulae, abdomen variously coloured |
5 |
5a. Femora yellow on the inner sides, abdomen yellow dorsally, white ventrally, distribution SA, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Angola |
A. bubo
Photo by Suncana |
5b. Femora red on the inner sides, abdomen dorsally red or pink |
6 |
6a. Forewing veins dark |
7 |
6b. Forewing veins not dark |
8 |
7a. Forewing white with a shade of grey or ivory, discal vein with a streak of dark scales, some-times another faded line postdiscally, length of fw 18-21 mm, abdomen dorsally bright red or pink, distribution SA, Mozambique, Zimbabwe |
A. lupia
Photo by Ricky Taylor |
7b. Forewing plain white, discal vein not with a dark streak, length of fw 21-25 mm, abdomen dorsally red suffused with white scales, distribution SA, Swaziland, Zimbabwe |
A. mulleri
|
8a. Hindwing margin concave, distribution Zambia |
female A. leucoptera
|
8b. Hindwing margin not concave, distribution South Africa, Mozambique & Zimbabwe |
female A. phaedra
Photo by Magda (St Lucia) |
9a. 2 spots on tergulae |
10 |
9b. 1 spot on tergulae |
11 |
10a. Abdomen dark red dorsally, pale grey-brown ventrally, forewing 21-24 mm, distribution South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi |
A. affinis
Photo by Ricky Taylor |
10b. Abdomen pink-red dorsally, pale ochre ventrally, forewing 19-21 mm, distribution Zambia |
A. luteibarba |
11a. Abdomen yellow dorsally |
12 |
11b. Abdomen red to pink dorsally |
14 |
12a. Thorax creamy white, distribution Angola |
A. brunnea ssp. brunnea
|
12b. Thorax grey to grey-brown |
13 |
13a. Hindwing outer margin distinctly concave towards the anal angle which forms a short projecting edge posteriorly, forewing greyish brown, distribution SA, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi |
A. bipartita
|
13b. Hindwing outer margin not or only slightly concave, without the anal angle projecting posteriorly, forewing pale grey to greyish white, distribution Mozambique, Zimbabwe |
A. brunnea ssp. bipartitoides
|
14a. Forewings with large transparent areas |
15 |
14b. Forewings densely scaled without large transparent areas |
16 |
15a. Forewing length 27-30 mm, hindwing pale brown-ochre (weakly scaled), outer sides of femora and tibiae pale ochre, inner sides of femora, tibiae, and tarsi red, abdomen pink-red dorsally, pale ochre ventrally, distribution SA, Mozambique, Zimbabwe |
A. bauri
Photo by Magda (St Lucia) |
15b. Forewing length 20-24 mm, hindwing almost transparent, pale grey-brown at the apex and along the outer margin, outer sides of fore & mid tibiae and tarsi brown, outer sides of coxae, femora and hindlegs grey-white, inner sides of legs pink-red, abdomen bright pink-red dorsally, grey-white ventrally, distribution SA, Swaziland, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia |
A. vitrea ssp. vitrea
Photo by Ricky Taylor |
16a. Forewing upperside pale to dark brown, with the discal cell and postdiscally the area between radius and vein m3 transparent, hindwing dark brown anteriorly and pale ochre posteriorly, distribution Zambia |
male A. leucoptera
|
16b. Forewing upperside pale brown without clearly transparent areas, hindwing uniformly yellowish, distribution SA, Mozambique, Zimbabwe |
male A. phaedra
|
HÄUSER, C. & BOPPRÉ M. 1997. A revision of the Afrotropical taxa of the genus
Walker (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae).
22(1):1 - 44. (