Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Erebidae
- Subfamily: Arctiinae
- Genus: Pusiola Kiriakoff, 1958
- Species: Pusiola occidentalis (Strand, 1912)
Description
Pusiola occidentalis is a species of moth belonging to the subfamily Arctiinae, commonly referred to as tiger moths. As with other members of the genus Pusiola, it is presumed to be small to medium‑sized, exhibiting the typical coloration and patterning associated with arctiine moths, although specific morphological details for this species are not extensively documented in the accessible literature.
Distribution
The species has been reported from the western region of the Afrotropical realm. Records indicate its presence in several West African countries, although precise locality data are limited. General distribution references place P. occidentalis within the broader West African biogeographic zone.
Habitat
While detailed habitat preferences for P. occidentalis are not well documented, members of the subfamily Arctiinae typically inhabit a range of environments including forested areas, savannas, and regions where host plants for their larvae are available.
Biology and Ecology
Information on the life cycle, host plants, and ecological role of P. occidentalis is currently lacking in published sources. As with many arctiine moths, the larvae are expected to feed on a variety of herbaceous plants, but specific associations for this species have not been recorded.
Taxonomic Notes
The species was originally described by Embrik Strand in 1912 under a different genus and later transferred to Pusiola. The epithet “occidentalis” denotes a western geographical association, reflecting the region where the type specimen was collected.
Conservation Status
There is no assessment of Pusiola occidentalis on the IUCN Red List, and its conservation status remains unquantified due to a paucity of data on population trends and threats.
References
- Afromoths, online database of Afrotropical moth species (accessed 2026).
- Natural History Museum, London – Lepidoptera generic names catalog.
Note: Detailed morphological, ecological, and distributional data for Pusiola occidentalis are limited in the publicly available scientific literature.