Spialia diomus

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Spialia diomus
ProceedingsZSL1899Plate25.jpg
Female, figure 6
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Spialia
Species:
S. diomus
Binomial name
Spialia diomus
(Höpffer, 1855) [1]
Synonyms
  • Pyrgus diomusHopffer, 1855
  • Syrichtus diomus
  • Syrichtus feraxWallengren, 1863
  • Pyrgus machacoanaButler, 1899
  • Pyrgus absconditaPlötz, 1884
  • Syrichthus lacreuzeiOberthür, 1912

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.

The wingspan is 27–31 mm for males and 29–33 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round in warmer areas. In South Africa it is more common in warmer months. In cooler areas adults are on wing from August to April. [2]

The larvae feed on Hibiscus (including Hibiscus aethiopicus ), Sida , Pavonia (including Pavonia burchellii ), Waltheria and Hermannia species (including Hermannia diffusa , Hermannia incana , Hermannia comosa , Hermannia depressa and Hermannia cuneifolia ).

Subspecies

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References

  1. Spialia 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.