Crimson-speckled Footman

Afrikaans name: Lappieskombers

Crimson-speckled Footman moth

Photo © Steven Herbert

Utetheisa pulchella

Moths are normally drably coloured but the Crimson-speckled Footman is certainly an exception in more ways that one. It is whitish in colour with numerous reddish-brown and black blotches. This moth flies by day and night but it is most commonly encountered during the day.

At times this moth is extremely common in an area, and at other times it can be totally absent. They like areas of disturbed ground with some flowers and grass. It feeds on the nectar obtained from flowers.

The Crimson-speckled Footman can be found in many areas in Africa and distibuted across most of South Africa.

References and further reading

Remarkable Insects of South Africa - Author: Lambert Smith - Published: 2008 - Page: 95

Southern African Moths & Their Caterpillars - Author: Staude, Picker and Griffiths - Published: 2023 - Page: 374

The Sandton Field Guide - Author: Sandton Nature Conservation Society - Published: 1982 - Page: 167

Pollinators, Predators and Parasites - Author: C. Scholtz, J. Scholtz, H. De Klerk - Published: 2021 - Page: 207

Pocket Guide - Insects of South Africa - Author: Mike Picker & Charles Griffiths - Published: 2015 - Page: 111

Gardening for Butterflies - Author: Steve Woodhall & Lindsay Gray - Published: 2015 - Page: 126

Field Guide to Insects of South Africa - Author: Mike Picker, Charles Griffiths and Alan Weaving - Published: 0 - Page: 358

Field Guide to Insects of the Kruger National Park - Author: Leo Braack - Published: 1991 - Page: 34

For more info: African Moths

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