Platylesches moritili
Platylesches moritili, the honey hopper or common hopper , is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Africa. In South Africa, it is found from KwaZulu-Natal, north along the coast and hinterland to Maputaland and from Mpumalanga to northern Gauteng and from the central Limpopo Province to Pafuri. The habitat consists of savanna and riverine forest.
| Platylesches moritili | |
|---|---|
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| Platylesches moritili figure 11 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Hesperiidae |
| Genus: | Platylesches |
| Species: | P. moritili |
| Binomial name | |
| Platylesches moritili (Wallengren, 1857)[1] | |
| Synonyms | |
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The wingspan is 31–33 mm for males and 33–35 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round, but are more common from March to May and from October to December.[2]
The larvae feed on the young foliage of Parinari curatellifolia. They are leaf green with a black to brown head. They spin leaf shelters held in place by strands of white silk.[3]
References
- Platylesches at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
- 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
Data related to Platylesches moritili at Wikispecies
Media related to Platylesches moritili at Wikimedia Commons
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