Spialia confusa

Spialia confusa, the confusing sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in south-eastern Africa, from Zululand, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to Kenya.

Confusing sandman
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Spialia
Species:
S. confusa
Binomial name
Spialia confusa
(Higgins, 1925)[1]
Synonyms
  • Hesperia transvaaliae var. confusa Higgins, 1925
  • Hesperia transvaaliae var. fasciata Higgins, 1924
  • Hesperia transvaaliae var. obscura Higgins, 1924

The wingspan is 19–25 mm.[2] These skippers are dark brown with white spots and both sides of the wings. In S. confusa, there is median band of white on the underside of the hindwings.[2] Adults are on wing year-round with peaks from October to March.[2]

The larvae feed on Melhania and Triumfetta species.

Subspecies
  • Spialia confusa confusa (central Tanzania, Malawi, northern Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, South Africa: Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal)
  • Spialia confusa obscura Evans, 1937 (eastern and central Kenya, north-eastern Tanzania)

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spialia confusa.
Wikispecies has information related to Spialia confusa.
  1. Spialia at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. 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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