Tarsocera cassus

Last updated

Spring widow
Tarsocera cassus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Tarsocera
Species:
T. cassus
Binomial name
Tarsocera cassus
(Linnaeus, 1764) [1]
Synonyms
  • Papilio cassusLinnaeus, 1764
  • Dira cassus(Linnaeus, 1764)

Tarsocera cassus, the spring widow, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in South Africa.

The wingspan is 42–52 mm for males and 50–57 mm for females. Adults are on wing from September to December (with a peak in October or November). There is one generation per year [2]

The larvae feed on various Poaceae species, including Lolium temulentum and Haparrhenia hirta .

Subspecies

References

  1. Tarsocera 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.