Spialia spio

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Spialia spio
Ann. Soc. ent. Fr.1890 Plate3.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Spialia
Species:
S. spio
Binomial name
Spialia spio
(Linnaeus, 1764) [1]
Synonyms
  • Papilio spioLinnaeus, 1764
  • Syrichtus spio
  • Papilio vindexStoll, 1781

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. It is found in eastern South Africa.

The wingspan is 22–29 mm for males and 28–31 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 Lavatera arborea , Hibiscus (including Hibiscus aethiopicus , Hibiscus gossypinus and Hibiscus pusillus ), Sida , Pavonia (including Pavonia burchellii , Pavonia macrophylla and Pavonia columella ), Triumfetta and Hermannia species (including Hermannia diffusa , Hermannia incana , Hermannia comosa , Hermannia coccocarpa , Hermannia candicans , Hermannia pilosula , Hermannia pallius , Hermannia pollens and Hermannia cuneifolia ).

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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.