Spialia diomus

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Spialia diomus
ProceedingsZSL1899Plate25.jpg
Female, figure 6
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
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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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 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 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.

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 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.

<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

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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>Acraea cabira</i> Species of butterfly

Acraea cabira, the yellow-banded acraea, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae that is native to Africa.

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.