Bug FAQHeady Maiden
Amata cerbera · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The Heady Maiden has a black head and antennae, a shining blue-green thorax and abdomen with three scarlet rings across the middle of the abdomen, and dark green wings marked with several transparent spots. It lives widely across sub-Saharan Africa, including countries such as Angola, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, and its larvae feed on a variety of herbaceous plants, grasses, hay and even paper.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Antennae and head are black. Thorax and abdomen are a shining blue-green; the abdomen shows three side-to-side scarlet rings that do not meet underneath. Forewings are dark green with six clear spots: a small round one near the base, three oblong spots near the outer edge, and two middle spots that are oval and triangular. Hindwings are dark green with two clear spots: a large one near the shoulders and a small round one past the middle.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It has an extensive range throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1764.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amata_cerbera
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.