Spialia asterodia

Spialia asterodia, the star sandman or Asterodia sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in South Africa from the western Cape to the southern part of the north Cape and across the east Cape to Lesotho, the Free State, Eswatini, western KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, the Limpopo Province, the eastern North West Province and Gauteng. It is also present in southern Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The habitat consists of grassland and grassy areas in fynbos, Karoo and Bushveld.[2]

Spialia asterodia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Spialia
Species:
S. asterodia
Binomial name
Spialia asterodia
(Trimen, 1864)[1]
Synonyms
  • Pyrgus asterodia Trimen, 1864
  • Syrichtus asterodia

The wingspan is 21–26 mm for males and 26–29 mm for females. Adults are on wing from August to March with peaks in midsummer. There are several generations per year.[3]

The larvae feed on Hermannia diffusa, Hermannia incana, Pavonia burchelli and Hebiscus species.

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spialia asterodia.
Wikispecies has information related to Spialia asterodia.
  1. Spialia at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Afrotropical Butterflies: Hesperiidae - Subfamily Pyrginae
  3. 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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