Gynanisa maja, the speckled emperor or chipumi, is a moth of the family Saturniidae. The species was first described by Johann Christoph Friedrich Klug in 1836. It is known from South Africa to eastern Africa (up to Angola and Zambia).[1]Gynanisa nigra is just a darker form and not a distinct species.
The wingspan is 105–113 mm. Adults are on wing from late December to early February.
The larvae serve as an important human food source.[2] See Entomophagy.
References
^"Gynanisa maja". Silkmoths. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
^Mbata, K.J. (2003). "Traditional values of caterpillars (Insecta : Lepidoptera) among the Bisa people of Zambia". Insect Science and Its Application. 23 (4): 341–354.