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Issue consists of one article divided into downloadable PDFS. The Southern African Lepidoptera Conservation Assessment (SALCA) was a collaborative venture between the Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa (LepSoc Africa), the Brenton Blue Trust (BBT) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and formed part of the National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA). SALCA was founded on the importance of Lepidoptera both ecologically and as biodiversity indicators and the proven expertise of the participants during the Southern African Butterfly Conservation Assessment (SABCA). The main outcomes of the SALCA project are presented and discussed here.The SALCA tool, a custom-designed interactive distribution database, enabled high quality data to be derived so that accurate conservation assessments could be produced in accordance with IUCN methodology. The Red Lists of SALCA and SABCA facilitated the first opportunity to calculate the Red List Index (RLI) for South African butterflies during the period from 2012–2018. Other metrics required for the NBA included protection level and threats analyses. A further outcome was the critical habitat mapping for butterflies, which formed part of a screening tool implemented by SANBI, to ensure that land use changes did not cause any further loss of butterfly biodiversity.A comprehensive distribution database was developed for South African moths, enabling data to be analysed so that moth species potentially threatened could be short-listed for further investigation.Geographical hotspots and ecosystems (vegetation types) containing butterflies of conservation concern are highlighted. The societal, economic and human wellbeing benefits of conserving Lepidoptera are identified. Responses by LepSoc Africa to the increasing pressures on South African Lepidoptera biodiversity, are also reported on and discussed. The significant outcomes of SABCA and SALCA are benchmarked against a well-known European butterfly atlasing and conservation assessment project.The 165 SALCA Red Lists and conservation assessments are presented at the end of this publication. PDF Published 2022-03-27 Issue Vol. 31 No. 4 (2020) Section Articles All copyright for publications belongs to the Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa NPC (LepSoc Africa) and/or the individual author(s), in terms of a Creative Commons license, which can be viewed at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/, and which only allows users to copy, distribute and transmit the work, whilst prohibiting commercial use and preventing alteration, transformation of, or building upon the work. The finally formatted, printed version is under the copyright of LepSoc Africa as the publisher, although the author(s) retain the right to fully use the content of the article, provided that the publisher is acknowledged. Text extracts may be used by third parties with prior, written permission from the Metamorphosis Editor and (as a minimum) the senior author. The journal name, volume, number and date of publication must be acknowledged by the third party together with the author(s) and title of the article.

The complete life history of Vegetia grimmia (Geyer, 1832), an uncommon species of Saturniidae restricted to the southwestern parts of the Western Cape province of South Africa, is described and illustrated for the first time. All immature stages of the species are described and illustrated, the larval host plants are recorded and a distribution map of the species based on all available records is compiled. The history of the scientific discovery of the species is summarised, and its distinction from similar species and its taxonomic status are clarified. Parasitism of its eggs by a parasitoid wasp in the genus Anastatus (Eupelmidae) is recorded and illustrated with high-resolution photographs, which are also available on www.waspweb.org.

EXPLANATION OF THE MASTER LISTSThere are 28 master lists, grouped as convenient taxon groups and split in such a way as to make each list individually downloadable but form an integral part of the main article. Citations to these master lists should be as indicated for the main article. Each master list contains a table that is made up of eight columns and each row represents information on one rearing record. For each master list, the rearing records are ordered under family, subfamily and sometimes tribe headings (in some cases we offer a superfamily instead of a family name where we were uncertain of the family placement). The records are ordered by family, subfamily, species and then rearer name. Explanation of the information contained in each column is as follows:Ref. no. This column contains references to a unique rearing number that links the notes, photographs and reared specimens gathered during the course of the rearing. A blank field indicate that there was no reference number submitted.Lepidoptera species. This column contains the best identification that could be made of the Lepidoptera taxon at the time of publication given the resources available. The name of the taxon specialist who identified the species (if not an author) is given in brackets. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the taxon with some certainty.Host species (Family). This columns contain the best identifications that could be made of the host species, on which the caterpillar was feeding, at the time of publication given the resources available. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the plant species to that level with some certainty or that feeding by the caterpillar was not confirmed. In the majority of cases the host indicated is the host on which the life stage was collected in the wild and on which the caterpillar fed subsequently. In cases where the host was presented to the larva in captivity, this is indicated. Where relevant, the name of the determiner is given in brackets. The host family name is given at the end in brackets. The phrase “reared ab ovum” means that the pictured larva was reared from the egg, meaning that the entire life-history of the species (all larval instars) was recorded and documented. In most cases such larvae were reared from eggs laid by a female moth collected at a light but raised on a natural host-plant of the species (though not necessarily one occurring at the locality where the female was taken), in some cases such larvae were reared from eggs found laid on a host-plant in the wild, and in a few cases the larvae were reared on an unnatural (exotic) host-plant in captivity. Such imprecisions regarding host use are, however, also contained in records of field-collected larvae, as mature larvae sometimes feed on plants they will not take in the early instars but do switch to at a later stage, and many also naturally feed on exotic plants in the wild.Locality. This column contains a short standardised reference to the locality where the specimen used in the rearing was collected, be it any life stage or a female from which eggs were obtained. The locality field lists, in order, the locality description, followed by the closest town, province (where relevant) and then country.Date of collection (c), pupation (p), emergence (e). This column contains the dates as indicated, where available. Missing dates are indicated by a “?”.Rearer. This column contains the name(s) of the person(s) who conducted the rearing, who may or may not have been the person who collected the rearing material.Final instar larva. This column contains the photographs of the caterpillar of the species reared. In most cases they depict the final-instar larva and at the time it was still feeding, but in some cases they show the larva in the pre-pupation phase (usually on the ground) and in a few cases an earlier instar, where for some reason a photograph of the final instar was unavailable.Adult. This column contains photographs of the actual adult specimen reared from the caterpillar shown in the previous column. Photographs marked with * are not of the actual adult specimen which emerged from the imaged larva.

EXPLANATION OF THE MASTER LISTSThere are 28 master lists, grouped as convenient taxon groups and split in such a way as to make each list individually downloadable but form an integral part of the main article. Citations to these master lists should be as indicated for the main article. Each master list contains a table that is made up of eight columns and each row represents information on one rearing record. For each master list, the rearing records are ordered under family, subfamily and sometimes tribe headings (in some cases we offer a superfamily instead of a family name where we were uncertain of the family placement). The records are ordered by family, subfamily, species and then rearer name. Explanation of the information contained in each column is as follows:Ref. no. This column contains references to a unique rearing number that links the notes, photographs and reared specimens gathered during the course of the rearing. A blank field indicate that there was no reference number submitted.Lepidoptera species. This column contains the best identification that could be made of the Lepidoptera taxon at the time of publication given the resources available. The name of the taxon specialist who identified the species (if not an author) is given in brackets. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the taxon with some certainty.Host species (Family). This columns contain the best identifications that could be made of the host species, on which the caterpillar was feeding, at the time of publication given the resources available. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the plant species to that level with some certainty or that feeding by the caterpillar was not confirmed. In the majority of cases the host indicated is the host on which the life stage was collected in the wild and on which the caterpillar fed subsequently. In cases where the host was presented to the larva in captivity, this is indicated. Where relevant, the name of the determiner is given in brackets. The host family name is given at the end in brackets. The phrase “reared ab ovum” means that the pictured larva was reared from the egg, meaning that the entire life-history of the species (all larval instars) was recorded and documented. In most cases such larvae were reared from eggs laid by a female moth collected at a light but raised on a natural host-plant of the species (though not necessarily one occurring at the locality where the female was taken), in some cases such larvae were reared from eggs found laid on a host-plant in the wild, and in a few cases the larvae were reared on an unnatural (exotic) host-plant in captivity. Such imprecisions regarding host use are, however, also contained in records of field-collected larvae, as mature larvae sometimes feed on plants they will not take in the early instars but do switch to at a later stage, and many also naturally feed on exotic plants in the wild.Locality. This column contains a short standardised reference to the locality where the specimen used in the rearing was collected, be it any life stage or a female from which eggs were obtained. The locality field lists, in order, the locality description, followed by the closest town, province (where relevant) and then country.Date of collection (c), pupation (p), emergence (e). This column contains the dates as indicated, where available. Missing dates are indicated by a “?”.Rearer. This column contains the name(s) of the person(s) who conducted the rearing, who may or may not have been the person who collected the rearing material.Final instar larva. This column contains the photographs of the caterpillar of the species reared. In most cases they depict the final-instar larva and at the time it was still feeding, but in some cases they show the larva in the pre-pupation phase (usually on the ground) and in a few cases an earlier instar, where for some reason a photograph of the final instar was unavailable.Adult. This column contains photographs of the actual adult specimen reared from the caterpillar shown in the previous column. Photographs marked with * are not of the actual adult specimen which emerged from the imaged larva.

EXPLANATION OF THE MASTER LISTSThere are 28 master lists, grouped as convenient taxon groups and split in such a way as to make each list individually downloadable but form an integral part of the main article. Citations to these master lists should be as indicated for the main article. Each master list contains a table that is made up of eight columns and each row represents information on one rearing record. For each master list, the rearing records are ordered under family, subfamily and sometimes tribe headings (in some cases we offer a superfamily instead of a family name where we were uncertain of the family placement). The records are ordered by family, subfamily, species and then rearer name. Explanation of the information contained in each column is as follows:Ref. no. This column contains references to a unique rearing number that links the notes, photographs and reared specimens gathered during the course of the rearing. A blank field indicate that there was no reference number submitted.Lepidoptera species. This column contains the best identification that could be made of the Lepidoptera taxon at the time of publication given the resources available. The name of the taxon specialist who identified the species (if not an author) is given in brackets. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the taxon with some certainty.Host species (Family). This columns contain the best identifications that could be made of the host species, on which the caterpillar was feeding, at the time of publication given the resources available. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the plant species to that level with some certainty or that feeding by the caterpillar was not confirmed. In the majority of cases the host indicated is the host on which the life stage was collected in the wild and on which the caterpillar fed subsequently. In cases where the host was presented to the larva in captivity, this is indicated. Where relevant, the name of the determiner is given in brackets. The host family name is given at the end in brackets. The phrase “reared ab ovum” means that the pictured larva was reared from the egg, meaning that the entire life-history of the species (all larval instars) was recorded and documented. In most cases such larvae were reared from eggs laid by a female moth collected at a light but raised on a natural host-plant of the species (though not necessarily one occurring at the locality where the female was taken), in some cases such larvae were reared from eggs found laid on a host-plant in the wild, and in a few cases the larvae were reared on an unnatural (exotic) host-plant in captivity. Such imprecisions regarding host use are, however, also contained in records of field-collected larvae, as mature larvae sometimes feed on plants they will not take in the early instars but do switch to at a later stage, and many also naturally feed on exotic plants in the wild.Locality. This column contains a short standardised reference to the locality where the specimen used in the rearing was collected, be it any life stage or a female from which eggs were obtained. The locality field lists, in order, the locality description, followed by the closest town, province (where relevant) and then country.Date of collection (c), pupation (p), emergence (e). This column contains the dates as indicated, where available. Missing dates are indicated by a “?”.Rearer. This column contains the name(s) of the person(s) who conducted the rearing, who may or may not have been the person who collected the rearing material.Final instar larva. This column contains the photographs of the caterpillar of the species reared. In most cases they depict the final-instar larva and at the time it was still feeding, but in some cases they show the larva in the pre-pupation phase (usually on the ground) and in a few cases an earlier instar, where for some reason a photograph of the final instar was unavailable.Adult. This column contains photographs of the actual adult specimen reared from the caterpillar shown in the previous column. Photographs marked with * are not of the actual adult specimen which emerged from the imaged larva.

EXPLANATION OF THE MASTER LISTSThere are 28 master lists, grouped as convenient taxon groups and split in such a way as to make each list individually downloadable but form an integral part of the main article. Citations to these master lists should be as indicated for the main article. Each master list contains a table that is made up of eight columns and each row represents information on one rearing record. For each master list, the rearing records are ordered under family, subfamily and sometimes tribe headings (in some cases we offer a superfamily instead of a family name where we were uncertain of the family placement). The records are ordered by family, subfamily, species and then rearer name. Explanation of the information contained in each column is as follows:Ref. no. This column contains references to a unique rearing number that links the notes, photographs and reared specimens gathered during the course of the rearing. A blank field indicate that there was no reference number submitted.Lepidoptera species. This column contains the best identification that could be made of the Lepidoptera taxon at the time of publication given the resources available. The name of the taxon specialist who identified the species (if not an author) is given in brackets. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the taxon with some certainty.Host species (Family). This columns contain the best identifications that could be made of the host species, on which the caterpillar was feeding, at the time of publication given the resources available. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the plant species to that level with some certainty or that feeding by the caterpillar was not confirmed. In the majority of cases the host indicated is the host on which the life stage was collected in the wild and on which the caterpillar fed subsequently. In cases where the host was presented to the larva in captivity, this is indicated. Where relevant, the name of the determiner is given in brackets. The host family name is given at the end in brackets. The phrase “reared ab ovum” means that the pictured larva was reared from the egg, meaning that the entire life-history of the species (all larval instars) was recorded and documented. In most cases such larvae were reared from eggs laid by a female moth collected at a light but raised on a natural host-plant of the species (though not necessarily one occurring at the locality where the female was taken), in some cases such larvae were reared from eggs found laid on a host-plant in the wild, and in a few cases the larvae were reared on an unnatural (exotic) host-plant in captivity. Such imprecisions regarding host use are, however, also contained in records of field-collected larvae, as mature larvae sometimes feed on plants they will not take in the early instars but do switch to at a later stage, and many also naturally feed on exotic plants in the wild.Locality. This column contains a short standardised reference to the locality where the specimen used in the rearing was collected, be it any life stage or a female from which eggs were obtained. The locality field lists, in order, the locality description, followed by the closest town, province (where relevant) and then country.Date of collection (c), pupation (p), emergence (e). This column contains the dates as indicated, where available. Missing dates are indicated by a “?”.Rearer. This column contains the name(s) of the person(s) who conducted the rearing, who may or may not have been the person who collected the rearing material.Final instar larva. This column contains the photographs of the caterpillar of the species reared. In most cases they depict the final-instar larva and at the time it was still feeding, but in some cases they show the larva in the pre-pupation phase (usually on the ground) and in a few cases an earlier instar, where for some reason a photograph of the final instar was unavailable.Adult. This column contains photographs of the actual adult specimen reared from the caterpillar shown in the previous column. Photographs marked with * are not of the actual adult specimen which emerged from the imaged larva.

EXPLANATION OF THE MASTER LISTSThere are 28 master lists, grouped as convenient taxon groups and split in such a way as to make each list individually downloadable but form an integral part of the main article. Citations to these master lists should be as indicated for the main article. Each master list contains a table that is made up of eight columns and each row represents information on one rearing record. For each master list, the rearing records are ordered under family, subfamily and sometimes tribe headings (in some cases we offer a superfamily instead of a family name where we were uncertain of the family placement). The records are ordered by family, subfamily, species and then rearer name. Explanation of the information contained in each column is as follows:Ref. no. This column contains references to a unique rearing number that links the notes, photographs and reared specimens gathered during the course of the rearing. A blank field indicate that there was no reference number submitted.Lepidoptera species. This column contains the best identification that could be made of the Lepidoptera taxon at the time of publication given the resources available. The name of the taxon specialist who identified the species (if not an author) is given in brackets. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the taxon with some certainty.Host species (Family). This columns contain the best identifications that could be made of the host species, on which the caterpillar was feeding, at the time of publication given the resources available. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the plant species to that level with some certainty or that feeding by the caterpillar was not confirmed. In the majority of cases the host indicated is the host on which the life stage was collected in the wild and on which the caterpillar fed subsequently. In cases where the host was presented to the larva in captivity, this is indicated. Where relevant, the name of the determiner is given in brackets. The host family name is given at the end in brackets. The phrase “reared ab ovum” means that the pictured larva was reared from the egg, meaning that the entire life-history of the species (all larval instars) was recorded and documented. In most cases such larvae were reared from eggs laid by a female moth collected at a light but raised on a natural host-plant of the species (though not necessarily one occurring at the locality where the female was taken), in some cases such larvae were reared from eggs found laid on a host-plant in the wild, and in a few cases the larvae were reared on an unnatural (exotic) host-plant in captivity. Such imprecisions regarding host use are, however, also contained in records of field-collected larvae, as mature larvae sometimes feed on plants they will not take in the early instars but do switch to at a later stage, and many also naturally feed on exotic plants in the wild.Locality. This column contains a short standardised reference to the locality where the specimen used in the rearing was collected, be it any life stage or a female from which eggs were obtained. The locality field lists, in order, the locality description, followed by the closest town, province (where relevant) and then country.Date of collection (c), pupation (p), emergence (e). This column contains the dates as indicated, where available. Missing dates are indicated by a “?”.Rearer. This column contains the name(s) of the person(s) who conducted the rearing, who may or may not have been the person who collected the rearing material.Final instar larva. This column contains the photographs of the caterpillar of the species reared. In most cases they depict the final-instar larva and at the time it was still feeding, but in some cases they show the larva in the pre-pupation phase (usually on the ground) and in a few cases an earlier instar, where for some reason a photograph of the final instar was unavailable.Adult. This column contains photographs of the actual adult specimen reared from the caterpillar shown in the previous column. Photographs marked with * are not of the actual adult specimen which emerged from the imaged larva.

EXPLANATION OF THE MASTER LISTSThere are 28 master lists, grouped as convenient taxon groups and split in such a way as to make each list individually downloadable but form an integral part of the main article. Citations to these master lists should be as indicated for the main article. Each master list contains a table that is made up of eight columns and each row represents information on one rearing record. For each master list, the rearing records are ordered under family, subfamily and sometimes tribe headings (in some cases we offer a superfamily instead of a family name where we were uncertain of the family placement). The records are ordered by family, subfamily, species and then rearer name. Explanation of the information contained in each column is as follows:Ref. no. This column contains references to a unique rearing number that links the notes, photographs and reared specimens gathered during the course of the rearing. A blank field indicate that there was no reference number submitted.Lepidoptera species. This column contains the best identification that could be made of the Lepidoptera taxon at the time of publication given the resources available. The name of the taxon specialist who identified the species (if not an author) is given in brackets. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the taxon with some certainty.Host species (Family). This columns contain the best identifications that could be made of the host species, on which the caterpillar was feeding, at the time of publication given the resources available. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the plant species to that level with some certainty or that feeding by the caterpillar was not confirmed. In the majority of cases the host indicated is the host on which the life stage was collected in the wild and on which the caterpillar fed subsequently. In cases where the host was presented to the larva in captivity, this is indicated. Where relevant, the name of the determiner is given in brackets. The host family name is given at the end in brackets. The phrase “reared ab ovum” means that the pictured larva was reared from the egg, meaning that the entire life-history of the species (all larval instars) was recorded and documented. In most cases such larvae were reared from eggs laid by a female moth collected at a light but raised on a natural host-plant of the species (though not necessarily one occurring at the locality where the female was taken), in some cases such larvae were reared from eggs found laid on a host-plant in the wild, and in a few cases the larvae were reared on an unnatural (exotic) host-plant in captivity. Such imprecisions regarding host use are, however, also contained in records of field-collected larvae, as mature larvae sometimes feed on plants they will not take in the early instars but do switch to at a later stage, and many also naturally feed on exotic plants in the wild.Locality. This column contains a short standardised reference to the locality where the specimen used in the rearing was collected, be it any life stage or a female from which eggs were obtained. The locality field lists, in order, the locality description, followed by the closest town, province (where relevant) and then country.Date of collection (c), pupation (p), emergence (e). This column contains the dates as indicated, where available. Missing dates are indicated by a “?”.Rearer. This column contains the name(s) of the person(s) who conducted the rearing, who may or may not have been the person who collected the rearing material.Final instar larva. This column contains the photographs of the caterpillar of the species reared. In most cases they depict the final-instar larva and at the time it was still feeding, but in some cases they show the larva in the pre-pupation phase (usually on the ground) and in a few cases an earlier instar, where for some reason a photograph of the final instar was unavailable.Adult. This column contains photographs of the actual adult specimen reared from the caterpillar shown in the previous column. Photographs marked with * are not of the actual adult specimen which emerged from the imaged larva.

EXPLANATION OF THE MASTER LISTSThere are 28 master lists, grouped as convenient taxon groups and split in such a way as to make each list individually downloadable but form an integral part of the main article. Citations to these master lists should be as indicated for the main article. Each master list contains a table that is made up of eight columns and each row represents information on one rearing record. For each master list, the rearing records are ordered under family, subfamily and sometimes tribe headings (in some cases we offer a superfamily instead of a family name where we were uncertain of the family placement). The records are ordered by family, subfamily, species and then rearer name. Explanation of the information contained in each column is as follows:Ref. no. This column contains references to a unique rearing number that links the notes, photographs and reared specimens gathered during the course of the rearing. A blank field indicate that there was no reference number submitted.Lepidoptera species. This column contains the best identification that could be made of the Lepidoptera taxon at the time of publication given the resources available. The name of the taxon specialist who identified the species (if not an author) is given in brackets. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the taxon with some certainty.Host species (Family). This columns contain the best identifications that could be made of the host species, on which the caterpillar was feeding, at the time of publication given the resources available. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the plant species to that level with some certainty or that feeding by the caterpillar was not confirmed. In the majority of cases the host indicated is the host on which the life stage was collected in the wild and on which the caterpillar fed subsequently. In cases where the host was presented to the larva in captivity, this is indicated. Where relevant, the name of the determiner is given in brackets. The host family name is given at the end in brackets. The phrase “reared ab ovum” means that the pictured larva was reared from the egg, meaning that the entire life-history of the species (all larval instars) was recorded and documented. In most cases such larvae were reared from eggs laid by a female moth collected at a light but raised on a natural host-plant of the species (though not necessarily one occurring at the locality where the female was taken), in some cases such larvae were reared from eggs found laid on a host-plant in the wild, and in a few cases the larvae were reared on an unnatural (exotic) host-plant in captivity. Such imprecisions regarding host use are, however, also contained in records of field-collected larvae, as mature larvae sometimes feed on plants they will not take in the early instars but do switch to at a later stage, and many also naturally feed on exotic plants in the wild.Locality. This column contains a short standardised reference to the locality where the specimen used in the rearing was collected, be it any life stage or a female from which eggs were obtained. The locality field lists, in order, the locality description, followed by the closest town, province (where relevant) and then country.Date of collection (c), pupation (p), emergence (e). This column contains the dates as indicated, where available. Missing dates are indicated by a “?”.Rearer. This column contains the name(s) of the person(s) who conducted the rearing, who may or may not have been the person who collected the rearing material.Final instar larva. This column contains the photographs of the caterpillar of the species reared. In most cases they depict the final-instar larva and at the time it was still feeding, but in some cases they show the larva in the pre-pupation phase (usually on the ground) and in a few cases an earlier instar, where for some reason a photograph of the final instar was unavailable.Adult. This column contains photographs of the actual adult specimen reared from the caterpillar shown in the previous column. Photographs marked with * are not of the actual adult specimen which emerged from the imaged larva.

EXPLANATION OF THE MASTER LISTSThere are 28 master lists, grouped as convenient taxon groups and split in such a way as to make each list individually downloadable but form an integral part of the main article. Citations to these master lists should be as indicated for the main article. Each master list contains a table that is made up of eight columns and each row represents information on one rearing record. For each master list, the rearing records are ordered under family, subfamily and sometimes tribe headings (in some cases we offer a superfamily instead of a family name where we were uncertain of the family placement). The records are ordered by family, subfamily, species and then rearer name. Explanation of the information contained in each column is as follows:Ref. no. This column contains references to a unique rearing number that links the notes, photographs and reared specimens gathered during the course of the rearing. A blank field indicate that there was no reference number submitted.Lepidoptera species. This column contains the best identification that could be made of the Lepidoptera taxon at the time of publication given the resources available. The name of the taxon specialist who identified the species (if not an author) is given in brackets. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the taxon with some certainty.Host species (Family). This columns contain the best identifications that could be made of the host species, on which the caterpillar was feeding, at the time of publication given the resources available. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the plant species to that level with some certainty or that feeding by the caterpillar was not confirmed. In the majority of cases the host indicated is the host on which the life stage was collected in the wild and on which the caterpillar fed subsequently. In cases where the host was presented to the larva in captivity, this is indicated. Where relevant, the name of the determiner is given in brackets. The host family name is given at the end in brackets. The phrase “reared ab ovum” means that the pictured larva was reared from the egg, meaning that the entire life-history of the species (all larval instars) was recorded and documented. In most cases such larvae were reared from eggs laid by a female moth collected at a light but raised on a natural host-plant of the species (though not necessarily one occurring at the locality where the female was taken), in some cases such larvae were reared from eggs found laid on a host-plant in the wild, and in a few cases the larvae were reared on an unnatural (exotic) host-plant in captivity. Such imprecisions regarding host use are, however, also contained in records of field-collected larvae, as mature larvae sometimes feed on plants they will not take in the early instars but do switch to at a later stage, and many also naturally feed on exotic plants in the wild.Locality. This column contains a short standardised reference to the locality where the specimen used in the rearing was collected, be it any life stage or a female from which eggs were obtained. The locality field lists, in order, the locality description, followed by the closest town, province (where relevant) and then country.Date of collection (c), pupation (p), emergence (e). This column contains the dates as indicated, where available. Missing dates are indicated by a “?”.Rearer. This column contains the name(s) of the person(s) who conducted the rearing, who may or may not have been the person who collected the rearing material.Final instar larva. This column contains the photographs of the caterpillar of the species reared. In most cases they depict the final-instar larva and at the time it was still feeding, but in some cases they show the larva in the pre-pupation phase (usually on the ground) and in a few cases an earlier instar, where for some reason a photograph of the final instar was unavailable.Adult. This column contains photographs of the actual adult specimen reared from the caterpillar shown in the previous column. Photographs marked with * are not of the actual adult specimen which emerged from the imaged larva.

EXPLANATION OF THE MASTER LISTSThere are 28 master lists, grouped as convenient taxon groups and split in such a way as to make each list individually downloadable but form an integral part of the main article. Citations to these master lists should be as indicated for the main article. Each master list contains a table that is made up of eight columns and each row represents information on one rearing record. For each master list, the rearing records are ordered under family, subfamily and sometimes tribe headings (in some cases we offer a superfamily instead of a family name where we were uncertain of the family placement). The records are ordered by family, subfamily, species and then rearer name. Explanation of the information contained in each column is as follows:Ref. no. This column contains references to a unique rearing number that links the notes, photographs and reared specimens gathered during the course of the rearing. A blank field indicate that there was no reference number submitted.Lepidoptera species. This column contains the best identification that could be made of the Lepidoptera taxon at the time of publication given the resources available. The name of the taxon specialist who identified the species (if not an author) is given in brackets. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the taxon with some certainty.Host species (Family). This columns contain the best identifications that could be made of the host species, on which the caterpillar was feeding, at the time of publication given the resources available. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the plant species to that level with some certainty or that feeding by the caterpillar was not confirmed. In the majority of cases the host indicated is the host on which the life stage was collected in the wild and on which the caterpillar fed subsequently. In cases where the host was presented to the larva in captivity, this is indicated. Where relevant, the name of the determiner is given in brackets. The host family name is given at the end in brackets. The phrase “reared ab ovum” means that the pictured larva was reared from the egg, meaning that the entire life-history of the species (all larval instars) was recorded and documented. In most cases such larvae were reared from eggs laid by a female moth collected at a light but raised on a natural host-plant of the species (though not necessarily one occurring at the locality where the female was taken), in some cases such larvae were reared from eggs found laid on a host-plant in the wild, and in a few cases the larvae were reared on an unnatural (exotic) host-plant in captivity. Such imprecisions regarding host use are, however, also contained in records of field-collected larvae, as mature larvae sometimes feed on plants they will not take in the early instars but do switch to at a later stage, and many also naturally feed on exotic plants in the wild.Locality. This column contains a short standardised reference to the locality where the specimen used in the rearing was collected, be it any life stage or a female from which eggs were obtained. The locality field lists, in order, the locality description, followed by the closest town, province (where relevant) and then country.Date of collection (c), pupation (p), emergence (e). This column contains the dates as indicated, where available. Missing dates are indicated by a “?”.Rearer. This column contains the name(s) of the person(s) who conducted the rearing, who may or may not have been the person who collected the rearing material.Final instar larva. This column contains the photographs of the caterpillar of the species reared. In most cases they depict the final-instar larva and at the time it was still feeding, but in some cases they show the larva in the pre-pupation phase (usually on the ground) and in a few cases an earlier instar, where for some reason a photograph of the final instar was unavailable.Adult. This column contains photographs of the actual adult specimen reared from the caterpillar shown in the previous column. Photographs marked with * are not of the actual adult specimen which emerged from the imaged larva.

EXPLANATION OF THE MASTER LISTSThere are 28 master lists, grouped as convenient taxon groups and split in such a way as to make each list individually downloadable but form an integral part of the main article. Citations to these master lists should be as indicated for the main article. Each master list contains a table that is made up of eight columns and each row represents information on one rearing record. For each master list, the rearing records are ordered under family, subfamily and sometimes tribe headings (in some cases we offer a superfamily instead of a family name where we were uncertain of the family placement). The records are ordered by family, subfamily, species and then rearer name. Explanation of the information contained in each column is as follows:Ref. no. This column contains references to a unique rearing number that links the notes, photographs and reared specimens gathered during the course of the rearing. A blank field indicate that there was no reference number submitted.Lepidoptera species. This column contains the best identification that could be made of the Lepidoptera taxon at the time of publication given the resources available. The name of the taxon specialist who identified the species (if not an author) is given in brackets. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the taxon with some certainty.Host species (Family). This columns contain the best identifications that could be made of the host species, on which the caterpillar was feeding, at the time of publication given the resources available. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the plant species to that level with some certainty or that feeding by the caterpillar was not confirmed. In the majority of cases the host indicated is the host on which the life stage was collected in the wild and on which the caterpillar fed subsequently. In cases where the host was presented to the larva in captivity, this is indicated. Where relevant, the name of the determiner is given in brackets. The host family name is given at the end in brackets. The phrase “reared ab ovum” means that the pictured larva was reared from the egg, meaning that the entire life-history of the species (all larval instars) was recorded and documented. In most cases such larvae were reared from eggs laid by a female moth collected at a light but raised on a natural host-plant of the species (though not necessarily one occurring at the locality where the female was taken), in some cases such larvae were reared from eggs found laid on a host-plant in the wild, and in a few cases the larvae were reared on an unnatural (exotic) host-plant in captivity. Such imprecisions regarding host use are, however, also contained in records of field-collected larvae, as mature larvae sometimes feed on plants they will not take in the early instars but do switch to at a later stage, and many also naturally feed on exotic plants in the wild.Locality. This column contains a short standardised reference to the locality where the specimen used in the rearing was collected, be it any life stage or a female from which eggs were obtained. The locality field lists, in order, the locality description, followed by the closest town, province (where relevant) and then country.Date of collection (c), pupation (p), emergence (e). This column contains the dates as indicated, where available. Missing dates are indicated by a “?”.Rearer. This column contains the name(s) of the person(s) who conducted the rearing, who may or may not have been the person who collected the rearing material.Final instar larva. This column contains the photographs of the caterpillar of the species reared. In most cases they depict the final-instar larva and at the time it was still feeding, but in some cases they show the larva in the pre-pupation phase (usually on the ground) and in a few cases an earlier instar, where for some reason a photograph of the final instar was unavailable.Adult. This column contains photographs of the actual adult specimen reared from the caterpillar shown in the previous column. Photographs marked with * are not of the actual adult specimen which emerged from the imaged larva.

EXPLANATION OF THE MASTER LISTSThere are 28 master lists, grouped as convenient taxon groups and split in such a way as to make each list individually downloadable but form an integral part of the main article. Citations to these master lists should be as indicated for the main article. Each master list contains a table that is made up of eight columns and each row represents information on one rearing record. For each master list, the rearing records are ordered under family, subfamily and sometimes tribe headings (in some cases we offer a superfamily instead of a family name where we were uncertain of the family placement). The records are ordered by family, subfamily, species and then rearer name. Explanation of the information contained in each column is as follows:Ref. no. This column contains references to a unique rearing number that links the notes, photographs and reared specimens gathered during the course of the rearing. A blank field indicate that there was no reference number submitted.Lepidoptera species. This column contains the best identification that could be made of the Lepidoptera taxon at the time of publication given the resources available. The name of the taxon specialist who identified the species (if not an author) is given in brackets. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the taxon with some certainty.Host species (Family). This columns contain the best identifications that could be made of the host species, on which the caterpillar was feeding, at the time of publication given the resources available. A blank cell means that we were unable to identify the plant species to that level with some certainty or that feeding by the caterpillar was not confirmed. In the majority of cases the host indicated is the host on which the life stage was collected in the wild and on which the caterpillar fed subsequently. In cases where the host was presented to the larva in captivity, this is indicated. Where relevant, the name of the determiner is given in brackets. The host family name is given at the end in brackets. The phrase “reared ab ovum” means that the pictured larva was reared from the egg, meaning that the entire life-history of the species (all larval instars) was recorded and documented. In most cases such larvae were reared from eggs laid by a female moth collected at a light but raised on a natural host-plant of the species (though not necessarily one occurring at the locality where the female was taken), in some cases such larvae were reared from eggs found laid on a host-plant in the wild, and in a few cases the larvae were reared on an unnatural (exotic) host-plant in captivity. Such imprecisions regarding host use are, however, also contained in records of field-collected larvae, as mature larvae sometimes feed on plants they will not take in the early instars but do switch to at a later stage, and many also naturally feed on exotic plants in the wild.Locality. This column contains a short standardised reference to the locality where the specimen used in the rearing was collected, be it any life stage or a female from which eggs were obtained. The locality field lists, in order, the locality description, followed by the closest town, province (where relevant) and then country.Date of collection (c), pupation (p), emergence (e). This column contains the dates as indicated, where available. Missing dates are indicated by a “?”.Rearer. This column contains the name(s) of the person(s) who conducted the rearing, who may or may not have been the person who collected the rearing material.Final instar larva. This column contains the photographs of the caterpillar of the species reared. In most cases they depict the final-instar larva and at the time it was still feeding, but in some cases they show the larva in the pre-pupation phase (usually on the ground) and in a few cases an earlier instar, where for some reason a photograph of the final instar was unavailable.Adult. This column contains photographs of the actual adult specimen reared from the caterpillar shown in the previous column. Photographs marked with * are not of the actual adult specimen which emerged from the imaged larva.

We present an overview of the known host associations of larval Lepidoptera for southern Africa, based on a database of 11 628 rearings, including all Caterpillar Rearing Group (CRG) records and other published records. Rearings per Lepidoptera family show some bias in the rearing effort towards the more conspicuous families, ectophagous groups and non-detritus-feeders but in general follow species diversity. Recorded Lepidoptera host associations per host family for southern Africa are shown. Data analyses revealed the following general trends: of the 20 most reared species 13 are polyphagous; Fabaceae are the most utilised plant family with 2 122 associations, followed by Asteraceae (600), Malvaceae (564) and Anacardiaceae (476); 98.8 % of hosts are vascular plants; and of the 19 most utilised host species 18 are common trees or shrubs. We discuss possible reasons behind these trends, particularly the high utilisation of Fabaceae and the widespread use of trees and shrubs as hosts. We compare recorded host species numbers with species diversity for the 19 most recorded host families and discuss possible reasons for the low utilisation of four plant families with an exceptionally low percentage of Lepidoptera host species / plant host species diversity. All Lepidoptera families for which more than 100 rearings have been recorded (21 families) utilise one (or two in the case of Pyralidae, Nolidae and Hesperiidae) plant family exponentially more than any of the other families, with resulting histograms forming hyperbolic curves, as are typical of distributions of taxonomic assemblages in nature. We calculate an exponential factor to quantify this phenomenon and show that for all 21 Lepidoptera families one host family is utilised 6–33 times more than the average use of other host families. In this paper, the larvae and adults of 953 African, mostly South African, Lepidoptera species reared by the CRG between January 2016 and June 2019 are illustrated together with pertinent host information. 119 Lepidoptera-parasitoid associations are reported, comprising seven hymenopteran families and one dipteran family. With the current data release, larval host association records are now available for 2 826 Lepidoptera species in the southern African subregion, covering about 25 % of the described fauna.