Tuxentius melaena

Last updated

Black pie
SeitzGrossschmett13Plate73, Tuxentius melaena.jpg
Tuxentius melaena subsp melaena, Skeerpoort, a.jpg
Upper and underside of the
nominate subspecies
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Tuxentius
Species:
T. melaena
Binomial name
Tuxentius melaena
(Trimen, 1887) [1]
Tuxentius melaena, verspreiding, a.gif
  approximate range
Synonyms
  • Lycaena melaenaTrimen, 1887
  • Castalius melaena
  • Lycaena griquaTrimen, 1887
  • Cupido melasAurivillius, 1924

Tuxentius melaena, the black pie or dark pied Pierrot, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Africa.

The wingspan is 19–24 mm for males and 21–25 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round, but are most common from October to March. [2]

The larvae feed on Ziziphus mucronata and probably other Ziziphus species.

Subspecies

Related Research Articles

<i>Zizeeria knysna</i> Species of butterfly

Zizeeria knysna, the dark grass blue or African grass blue, is a species of blue butterfly (Lycaenidae) found in Africa, on Cyprus and the Iberian Peninsula.

<i>Tuxentius</i> Butterfly genus in family Lycaenidae

Tuxentius is a butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae. They are commonly known as pied Pierrots or pies. Contained in this genus are the African species formerly placed in Castalius, except the blue-eyed Pierrot which is separated in Zintha.

<i>Zintha</i> Monotypic butterfly genus in family Lycaenidae

Zintha is a butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae. It is monotypic, with the only species being Zintha hintza, the blue-eyed Pierrot, blue pied Pierrot or Hintza blue. The pied Pierrots proper are the closely related genus Tuxentius, however, and like Zintha they were formerly included in Castalius.

<i>Catacroptera</i> Genus of butterflies

Catacroptera is a monotypic butterfly genus of the subfamily Nymphalinae in the family Nymphalidae found in sub-Saharan Africa. The habitat consists of grassland and savanna. Adults are on wing year round, but from September to April in cooler areas.

<i>Sarangesa motozi</i> Species of butterfly

Sarangesa motozi, also known as the forest elfin or elfin skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is native to southern and eastern Africa.

<i>Zophopetes dysmephila</i> Species of butterfly

Zophopetes dysmephila, the palm-tree nightfighter, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Mozambique, in South Africa from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, and in Kenya. Their habitat consists of moist savanna and forests.

<i>Myrina silenus</i> Species of butterfly

Myrina silenus, the common fig-tree blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, southern Arabia and northern Oman.

<i>Chrysoritis beaufortius</i> Species of butterfly

Chrysoritis beaufortius, the Beaufort opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae found only in South Africa.

<i>Tuxentius calice</i> Species of butterfly

Tuxentius calice, the white pie, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Africa southwards of the equator.

Tuxentius hesperis, the western pie, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is only known from Groblershoop and Vioolsdrif and along the banks of the Orange River in the Northern Cape.

<i>Tarucus sybaris</i> Species of butterfly

Tarucus sybaris, the dotted blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southern Africa.

<i>Pseudonacaduba sichela</i> Species of butterfly

Pseudonacaduba sichela, the African line blue, dusky line blue or dusky blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Africa, south of the Sahara.

<i>Euchrysops barkeri</i> Species of butterfly

Euchrysops barkeri, the Barker's smoky blue or Barker's Cupid, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and from Sierra Leone to Tanzania. In South Africa it is found from the East Cape along the KwaZulu-Natal coast and in Limpopo province.

<i>Cupidopsis cissus</i> Species of butterfly

Cupidopsis cissus, the common meadow blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in most of Africa, south of the Sahara.

<i>Cupidopsis iobates</i> Species of butterfly

Cupidopsis iobates, the tailed meadow blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in most of Africa, south of the Sahara.

<i>Actizera lucida</i> Species of butterfly

Actizera lucida, the rayed blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found from eastern and southern Africa to Kenya. It is also found on Madagascar. In South Africa it is widespread from the West Cape to the Orange Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, the Limpopo Province and the North West Province.

Oraidium barberae, the dwarf blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa and Zimbabwe. In South Africa it is found from the Western Cape, north to Namaqualand, the Northern Cape and east to the Eastern Cape and the Free State as well as northern KwaZulu-Natal.

<i>Byblia anvatara</i> Species of butterfly

Byblia anvatara, the common joker, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae, found in Sub-Saharan Africa.

<i>Tuxentius carana</i> Species of butterfly

Tuxentius carana, the forest pied Pierrot, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Central African Republic and the DRC. The habitat consists of forests.

Tuxentius cretosus, the savanna pied Pierrot, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Senegal, the Gambia, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda and Kenya. The habitat consists of dry savanna and Guinea savanna.

References

  1. Tuxentius 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.