Dira swanepoeli

Swanepoel's widow
Dira swanepoli
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Dira
Species:	D. swanepoeli
Binomial name
Dira swanepoeli (van Son, 1939)
Synonyms
Leptoneura swanepoelivan Son, 1939

Dira swanepoeli, or Swanepoel's widow, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the southern slopes of the Blouberg Range in Limpopo, South Africa. ^[1]

Description

The wingspan is 58–65 mm for males and 60–68 mm for females. Adults are on wing from late February to early March. There is one generation per year. ^[2]

Habitat and behavior

Adults are observed residing in rocky grasslands with stunted forest clearings, specifically in areas with long grass like Merxmullera. ^[3]

The larvae feed on various Poaceae species, including Eragrostis aspera , Ehrharta erecta and Pennisetum clandestinum .^{[ citation needed ]}

Subspecies

• Dira swanepoeli swanepoeli (northern Transvaal)
• Dira swanepoeli isolatavan Son, 1955 (Blouberg Range in northern Transvaal)

References

1. "Dira Hübner, [1819]" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
2. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN   978-1-86872-724-7.
3. Woodhall, Steve (2001). "Looking for Dira". Metamorphosis. 12 (2). The Lepidopterists' Society of Afrcia: 50–52. ISSN   1018-6490 – via Lepsoc.