Spialia mafa

Mafa sandman
Spialia mafa in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Spialia
Species: S. mafa
Binomial name
Spialia mafa
(Trimen, 1870)[1]
Synonyms
  • Pyrgus mafa Trimen, 1870
  • Hesperia oberthuri Aurivillius, 1925
  • Spialia aurivillii Shepard, 1935

The Mafa grizzled skipper or Mafa sandman (Spialia mafa) is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in south-western Africa, in KwaZulu-Natal, Botswana, Zimbabwe and from the Cape in South Africa to Sudan and southern Arabia.

These skippers are dark brown with white spots and both sides of the wings.[2]

Wingspan is from 22–26 mm.[2]

Flight period is year-round but peaks from September to April.[2]

The larvae feed on Hermannia, Pavonia and Hibiscus species (including Hibiscus aethiopicus).

Subspecies

References

  1. Spialia, Site of Markku Savela
  2. 1 2 3 Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town:Struik Publishers, 2005.

External links


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