Serrodes partita, the catapult moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. It is found in western, eastern, central, and southern Africa,[1] India, Indonesia (Borneo, Java) and Sri Lanka.[2] [3]
The wingspan of the adults is approximately 60 mm. The head, thorax, and forewings are dark, red, or greyish brown—with a sub-basal dark red-brown spot on the costa, with a line from its lower edge. A similar antemedial area and large lunule are found below the cell with a highly excurved line from its lower edge. Reniform is broken up into several tessellated spots with pale edges and rufous marks on the costa above it. A double straight postmedial line angled below the costa. The abdomen and hindwings are fuscous. Hindwings have traces of a medial pale line. Cilia paler at the apex and anal angle.[4]
They feed on plants such as Prunus persica, Sapindus saponaria, Sapindus trifoliatus,[5] Pappea capensis, Sapindus saponica, Grewia occidentalis, Citrus, Deinbollia oblongifolia, Acacia, Deinbollia pinnata, Eucalyptus blobulus, and Leptospermum laevigatum.[6]
. George Hampson . 1894 . The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume II . Taylor and Francis . Biodiversity Heritage Library.