Catajana

Catajana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Eupterotidae
Subfamily:	Janinae
Genus:	Catajana Strand, 1910
Species:	C. bimaculata
Binomial name
Catajana bimaculata (Dewitz, 1879)
Synonyms
Dreata bimaculataDewitz, 1879 Hemijana bimaculata

Catajana is a monotypic moth genus in the family Eupterotidae described by Embrik Strand in 1910. Its only species, Catajana bimaculata, described by Hermann Dewitz in 1879, ^[1] is found in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other parts of Central and Southern Africa. ^[2]

Taxonomy

• **Kingdom**: Animalia
• **Phylum**: Arthropoda
• **Class**: Insecta
• **Order**: Lepidoptera
• **Family**: Eupterotidae
• **Subfamily**: Janinae
• **Genus**: Catajana Strand, 1910
• **Species**: Catajana bimaculata (Dewitz, 1879)

Etymology

The genus name Catajana was introduced by Embrik Strand in 1910. The species name bimaculata refers to the two distinctive spots on the forewings of the moth.

Description

• Catajana bimaculata is medium-sized with a robust build typical of Eupterotidae moths.
• Forewings are pale with two dark spots; hindwings are lighter and more uniform in color.
• Moths are nocturnal and are attracted to light sources.

Distribution

• Recorded in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Additional records indicate presence in Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and other parts of Central and Southern Africa.

Habitat

• Inhabits tropical and subtropical forests.
• Found in understory vegetation, providing cover and resources for larvae.

Behavior and ecology

• Nocturnal species, primarily active at night.
• Larvae feed on a variety of plant materials.
• Serves as prey for nocturnal predators such as bats and birds.

Conservation status

• No specific conservation status assigned.
• May be susceptible to habitat loss due to deforestation.

References

1. Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "​Catajana​". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index . Natural History Museum . Retrieved May 19, 2018.
2. De Prins, J. & De Prins, W. (2018). "Catajana bimaculata (Dewitz, 1879)". Afromoths. Retrieved June 8, 2018.

• Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "​Catajana​". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index . Natural History Museum . Retrieved May 19, 2018.
• De Prins, J. & De Prins, W. (2018). "Catajana bimaculata (Dewitz, 1879)". Afromoths. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
• Strand, E. (1910). Die Gattungen der Bombyciden. Entomologische Zeitschrift, 4, 98.
• Dewitz, H. (1879). Afrikanische Schmetterlinge. Mitteilungen des Münchener Entomologischen Vereins, 3, 33–34; pl. 2, fig. 5.