Borocera cajani

Borocera cajani
Landibe silk being hung out to dry
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lasiocampidae
Genus: Borocera
Species:
B. cajani
Binomial name
Borocera cajani
Vinson, 1863
Synonyms[1]

Borocera signata (Aurivillius, 1927)
Borocera striata (Conte, 1909)
Lebeda cowani Butler, 1882
Borocera gigas (De Lajonquière, 1972)
Borocera monsarrati (De Lajonquière, 1972)
Libethra jejuna (Saalmüller, 1884)
Borocera castanea (Aurivillius, 1927)
Borocera cinerascens (Aurivillius, 1927)
Libethra brunnea (Saalmüller, 1884)
Borocera fuscescens (Mabille, 1879)
Borocera cervina (Aurivillius, 1927)
Borocera cowani (Butler, 1882)
Borocera brunnea (Saalmüller, 1884)
Borocera jejuna (Saalmüller, 1884)

Borocera cajani, also known as landibe in Malagasy,[2][3] is a species of silk-producing lasiocampid moth endemic to Madagascar.[4][5] It is often confused with the similar Borocera madagascariensis, which has the same Malagasy name. However, B. cajani is the species associated with silk production in highland Madagascar, while B. madagascariensis is found in the coastal portion of the island.[6]

Landibe moths are distributed throughout the highland tapia forests of inland Madagascar, including the zones of Imamo [fr] and Itremo massif, Isalo National Park, and the Col des Tapia.[6][4] It flies all year within the tapia forest.[4]

B. cajani produces a form of wild silk which has been harvested by the indigenous Malagasy people of the Madagascar highlands for hundreds of years.[4] Silk production and weaving take place in different communities. A local center for the production of landibe silk is the central Madagascar town of Sahatsiho Ambohimanjaka.[3] Wild landibe silk is thicker than that of the common silkworm Bombyx mori.[3]

  1. ^ "Mindat.org". www.mindat.org. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Landibe silk moth Borocera cajani Vinson, 1863". www.invasive.org. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Carver, Edward (2019-08-16). "Madagascar: What's good for the forest is good for the native silk industry". Mongabay Environmental News. Archived from the original on 2021-06-02. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d Razafimanantsoa, T.M.; Raminosoa, N.; Rakotondrasoa, O.L.; Rajoelison, G.L.; Bogaert, J.; Rabearisoa, M.R.; Ramamonjisoa, B.S.; Poncelet, M.; Haubruge, E.; Verheggen, F.J. (March 2013). "Silkworm Moths Inventory in Their Natural Tapia Forest Habitat (Madagascar): Diversity, Population Dynamics and Host Plants". African Entomology. 21 (1): 137–150. doi:10.4001/003.021.0123. ISSN 1021-3589. S2CID 83968243. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Borocera cajani Vinson, 1863". www.gbif.org. GBIF. Archived from the original on 2021-06-03. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference uliege was invoked but never defined (see the help page).