Platylesches galesa

Last updated

Platylesches galesa
HollandHesperiidaeAfricaPlate1.jpg
Platylesches galesa figure 7
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Species:
P. galesa
Binomial name
Platylesches galesa
(Hewitson, 1877) [1]
Synonyms
  • Hesperia galesaHewitson, 1877
  • Pamphila galesa
  • Halpe nigerrimaButler, 1894
  • Platylesches nigricansHolland, 1896
  • Platylesches depygataStrand, 1921

Platylesches galesa, the white-tail hopper or black hopper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Transvaal, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It is common in forest and woodland.

The wingspan is 33–37 mm for males and 36–40 mm for females. [2] Adults are dark brown. The forewings have small hyaline (glass-like) spots and the hindwings have a row of small yellowish discal spots. The abdomen has a white tip.

The larvae feed on Parinari species. Reports of other food plants, mainly grasses, are known to be erroneous. Third instar larvae are light green with black markings and a black head. The fourth instar is pale green with fine darker green mottling and a brown head. The fifth instar is salmon pink with a brown head. The larvae construct a shelter from a whole leaf of their host plant, folded over and closed by fine silk threads. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Pieris brassicae</i> Species of butterfly

Pieris brassicae, the large white, also called cabbage butterfly, cabbage white, cabbage moth (erroneously), or in India the large cabbage white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is a close relative of the small white, Pieris rapae.

Small blue Species of butterfly

The small blue is a Palearctic butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. Despite its common name, it is not particularly blue. The male has some bluish suffusion at the base of its upper wings but is mostly dark brown like the female. The species can live in colonies of up to several hundred and in its caterpillar stage is cannibalistic.

Heath fritillary Species of butterfly

The heath fritillary is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found throughout the Palaearctic from western Europe to Japan, in heathland, grassland, and in coppiced woodland. Its association with coppiced woodland earned it the name "woodman's follower" in parts of the UK. It is considered a threatened species in the UK and Germany, but not Europe-wide or globally.

<i>Eacles imperialis</i> Species of moth

Eacles imperialis, the imperial moth, is a Nearctic member of the family Saturniidae and subfamily Ceratocampinae. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773.

<i>Spialia galba</i> Species of butterfly

Spialia galba, the Indian grizzled skipper, is a hesperiid butterfly which is found in South Asia and parts of Southeast Asia.

<i>Belenois aurota</i> Species of butterfly

Belenois aurota, the pioneer or pioneer white or caper white, is a small to medium-sized butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the yellows and whites, which is found in South Asia and Africa. In Africa, it is also known as the brown-veined white, and is well known during summer and autumn when large numbers migrate north-east over the interior.

<i>Lampides boeticus</i> Species of butterfly

Lampides boeticus, the pea blue, or long-tailed blue, is a small butterfly that belongs to the lycaenids or gossamer-winged family.

<i>Papilio aegeus</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio aegeus, the orchard swallowtail butterfly or large citrus butterfly is a species of butterfly from the family Papilionidae, that is found in eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea.

<i>Atalopedes campestris</i> Species of butterfly

Atalopedes campestris is a small grass skipper butterfly. It has a wingspan of 35–41 mm. Male is orange, edged with brown, and has a large brown-black stigma. Female is darker with lighter markings in the center of the wing.

<i>Carcharodus alceae</i> Species of butterfly

Carcharodus alceae, the mallow skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. The scientific Latin species name alceae refers to the host plants Althaea, which, in turn, are named after the ancient Greek poet Alcaeus of Mytilene.

<i>Papilio anactus</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio anactus, the dainty swallowtail, dingy swallowtail or small citrus butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly from the family Papilionidae, that is endemic to Australia.

Platylesches ayresii, the peppered hopper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in bushveld in Botswana, western Transvaal, KwaZulu-Natal, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The habitat consists of dry savanna and grassland.

<i>Fresna nyassae</i> Species of butterfly

Fresna nyassae, the variegated Acraea skipper or variegated Acraea hopper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from Ghana and Kenya to South Africa.

Platylesches neba, the flower-girl hopper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Zululand, Transvaal, Zimbabwe and south-western Africa. The habitat consists of moist and dry savanna.

<i>Platylesches robustus</i> Species of butterfly

Platylesches robustus, the robust hopper or large hopper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Zululand, Swaziland, Transvaal, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The habitat consists of moist, frost-free savanna and the transitional zone between forest and Guinea savanna.

<i>Platylesches moritili</i> Species of butterfly

Platylesches moritili, the honey hopper or common hopper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Africa. In South Africa, it is found from KwaZulu-Natal, north along the coast and hinterland to Maputaland and from Mpumalanga to northern Gauteng and from the central Limpopo Province to Pafuri. The habitat consists of savanna and riverine forest.

Platylesches tina, the small hopper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Uganda, western Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia (Caprivi) and the Transvaal. The habitat consists of well-wooded savanna and riverine vegetation.

Platylesches picanini, the banded hopper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, south-western Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, northern Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The habitat consists of forests, riparian vegetation along river courses, woodland, dry forests and Guinea savanna.

<i>Dixeia pigea</i> Species of butterfly

Dixeia pigea, the ant-heap small white or ant-heap white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae that is native to Africa.

<i>Eetion elia</i> Species of butterfly

Eetion elia, the white-spot palmer, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It was described by William Chapman Hewitson in 1866. It is found in Malaysia and Singapore, as well as on Sumatra and Borneo. The habitat consists of fringes of secondary forests. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Eetion, erected by Lionel de Nicéville in 1895.

References

  1. Platylesches 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. Afrotropical Butterflies: Hesperiidae - Subfamily Hesperiinae