Semioptila torta is a moth in the Himantopteridae family. It was described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1877.[1] It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.[2]

Semioptila torta
Scientific classification
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S. torta
Binomial name
Semioptila torta
Butler, 1877

The wingspan is about 24 mm. The wings are transparent and sparsely scaled, the basal half with rust-reddish or reddish-orange scales, the outer or terminal half with brown scales. The hindwings have an oval orange spot beyond the cell. The body is pitchy brown, the abdomen with cupreous-brown scales. The vertex of the head and collar are orange and the undersurface is pale brown, with a few orange hairs on the pectus.[3]

Subspecies edit

  • Semioptila torta torta
  • Semioptila torta maschuna Rothschild, 1907 (Zimbabwe)

References edit

  1. ^ Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "Semioptila torta​". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum.
  2. ^ Afro Moths
  3. ^ Butler A. G. 1887. Description of a new genus of Chalcosiid moths allied to Pedoptila. - Annals and Magazine of Natural History (5)20:180–181.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.