Spialia asterodia

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Spialia asterodia
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Spialia
Species:
S. asterodia
Binomial name
Spialia asterodia
(Trimen, 1864) [1]
Synonyms
  • Pyrgus asterodiaTrimen, 1864
  • Syrichtus asterodia

Spialia asterodia, the star sandman or Asterodia sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in South Africa from the western Cape to the southern part of the north Cape and across the east Cape to Lesotho, the Free State, Swaziland, western KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, the Limpopo Province, the eastern North West Province and Gauteng. It is also present in southern Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The habitat consists of grassland and grassy areas in fynbos, Karoo and Bushveld. [2]

The wingspan is 21–26 mm for males and 26–29 mm for females. Adults are on wing from August to March with peaks in midsummer. There are several generations per year. [3]

The larvae feed on Hermannia diffusa , Hermannia incana , Pavonia burchelli and Hebiscus species.

Related Research Articles

<i>Spialia sertorius</i> Species of insect

Spialia sertorius, the red-underwing skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in southern and central Europe and North Africa. This is a species of mountainous regions, being found in Europe at altitudes of up to 1400 m.

<i>Spialia</i> Genus of butterflies

Spialia is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae, which are mainly found in Africa and Asia. They are commonly called grizzled skippers or sandmen.

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

Spialia doris, the Aden skipper or desert grizzled skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Somalia and India. In the Atlas mountains it is found at heights of 400 to 1,750 meters above sea-level.

<i>Kedestes barberae</i> Species of butterfly

Kedestes barberae, or Barber's ranger, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in southern Africa, from the Cape Province to Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Transvaal, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.

Spialia nanus, the dwarf sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in South Africa, in the western Cape, western Free State, southern North West Province and the northern Cape.

Spialia delagoae, the Delagoa sandman or Delagoa grizzled skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Namibia, Botswana, Transvaal, Swaziland, Zululand, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Kenya. The habitat consists of moist and dry savanna.

Spialia sataspes, the Boland sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in South Africa, in fynbos in the western Cape and along the mountain chains of the northern Cape and along the coast to Port Elizabeth in the eastern Cape and inland to Bedford and Grahamstown.

Spialia depauperata, the wandering sandman or deprived grizzled skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from Kenya to Natal and in Uganda.

Spialia agylla, the grassveld sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in South Africa.

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

Spialia secessus, the Wolkberg sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in high savannah and montane grasslands from Swaziland to northern KwaZulu-Natal, the eastern part of the Limpopo Province and Mpumalanga. It is also present in Zimbabwe. It is named after the Wolkberg range.

Spialia dromus, the forest sandman, dromus grizzled skipper or large grizzled skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in tropical Africa. In South Africa it is found along the eastern Cape coast to KwaZulu-Natal into Swaziland. It is also present in Mpumalanga and the Limpopo Province into northern Gauteng and the extreme north-west of the North West Province.

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

Spialia diomus, the common sandman or Diomus grizzled skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in tropical Africa and south-western Arabia.

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

Spialia spio, the mountain sandman or Spio grizzled skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in tropical Africa and south-western Arabia. In South Africa it is found all over the eastern side of the country.

Alenia namaqua, the Namaqua dancer or Namaqua sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is only known from Namaqualand in the Northern Cape of South Africa, from Calvinia north through Kamiensberg into Namibia.

Alenia sandaster, the Karoo dancer or Karoo sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is only known from the arid Nama Karoo of the eastern part of the West Cape, the central North Cape and the western East Cape in South Africa.

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

Spialia colotes, the Bushveld sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. The species was first described by Herbert Druce in 1875. It is found in Angola, Botswana and from South Africa to Ethiopia and south-western Arabia.

Spialia confusa, the confusing sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in south-eastern Africa, from Zululand, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to Kenya.

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

Spialia mafa, the Mafa grizzled skipper or Mafa sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in south-western Africa, in KwaZulu-Natal, Botswana, Zimbabwe and from the Cape in South Africa to Sudan and southern Arabia.

Spialia paula, the mite sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Botswana, Transvaal and Zimbabwe. The habitat consists of dry savanna.

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

Spialia orbifer, the orbed red-underwing skipper or Hungarian skipper is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from south-eastern Europe and temperate Asia to Korea. The habitat consists of steppe on plains and grassy slopes in the mountains.

References

  1. Spialia at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Afrotropical Butterflies: Hesperiidae - Subfamily Pyrginae
  3. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN   978-1-86872-724-7.