Platylesches tina
| Small Hopper | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Hesperiidae |
| Genus: | Platylesches |
| Species: | P. tina |
| Binomial name | |
| Platylesches tina Evans, 1937[1] | |
The Small Hopper (Platylesches tina) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in Uganda, western Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia (Caprivi) and the Transvaal. The habitat consists of well-wooded savanna and riverine vegetation.
The wingspan is 25–29 mm.[2] These skippers are brown with light white spots in the middle of both fore and hindwings. The underside of the wings are a light blue.[2] Flight period is from September to October and January to April, with two broods.[2] Adults mud-puddle, feed from bird droppings and have been recorded feeding from the flowers of trees.
The larvae feed on the young foliage of Parinari curatellifolia. They are leaf-green with a brown head. The larvae create leaf-shelters by taking a whole leaf and folding it in two up the mid-rib, fixing the edges together with closely spaced silk strands.[3]
References
- ↑ Platylesches, Site of Markku Savela
- 1 2 3 Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town:Struik Publishers, 2005.
- ↑ Afrotropical Butterflies: Hesperiidae - Subfamily Hesperiinae
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