Platylesches tina
| Small hopper | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | P. tina
|
| Binomial name | |
| Platylesches tina Evans, 1937[1]
| |
Platylesches tina, the small hopper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. 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 forewings and hindwings. The underside of the wings are a light blue.[2] The 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 at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
- ^ a b c Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
- ^ Afrotropical Butterflies: Hesperiidae - Subfamily Hesperiinae
