Metisella syrinx
Appearance
Bamboo sylph | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Hesperiidae |
Genus: | Metisella |
Species: | M. syrinx
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Binomial name | |
Metisella syrinx | |
Synonyms | |
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Metisella syrinx, the bamboo sylph, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is a rare and highly localised species which is only known from South Africa in the eastern Cape, through southern Lesotho to the extreme south of KwaZulu-Natal. The habitat consists of rocky areas on the summits of mountains, in montane grassland.[2]
The wingspan is 32–34 mm for males and 32–37 mm for females. Adults are on wing from January to February. There is one generation per year.[3]
The larvae feed on Thamnocalamus tessellatus.
References
- ^ Metisella at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
- ^ Afrotropical Butterflies: Hesperiidae - Subfamily Heteropterinae
- ^ Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
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