Batocnema africanus is a moth

Moth

A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...

 of the Sphingidae

Sphingidae

Sphingidae is a family of moths , commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms, that includes about 1,200 species . It is best represented in the tropics but there are species in every region . They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid,...

 family. It is known from open woodland and savanna from north-eastern South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 to Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

, Tanzania

Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

 and the Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

 coast.

The length of the forewings is 30-33 mm for males and about 35 mm for females and the wingspan

Wingspan

The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...

 is 72-85 mm. The head and body are pale green and the tegulae and first abodminal tergite are dark green. The forewings are pale yellowish green shot with pink and mottled with darker green and yellow. There is a large dark green inner marginal spot at the base, a dark green wedge-shaped spot at the costa and a large quadrate dark green spot at the apex. The hindwings are yellow with a green border and a dark green spot at the tornus.

It is similar to Batocnema coquerelii

Batocnema coquerelii

Batocnema coquerelii is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is known from Madagascar, the Aldabra Islands and the Comoro Islands.It is similar to Batocnema africanus, but the general pattern comprises a much better developed series of bands and patches...

, but the general pattern is paler and less contrasting.

The larvae feed on Sclerocarya caffra.