Sarangesa motozi

Sarangesa motozi
Winter form
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Hesperiidae
Genus:	Sarangesa
Species:	S. motozi
Binomial name
Sarangesa motozi (Wallengren, 1857)[1]
Synonyms
Pterygospidea motozi Wallengren, 1857 Nisoniades pato Trimen, 1862 Sape ophthalmica Mabille, 1891 Sape pertusa Mabille, 1891 Sarangesa helmi Karsch, 1896 Sarangesa ophthalmica ophthalmicodes Strand, 1912

Sarangesa motozi, the forest elfin or elfin skipper, is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family, and native to southern and eastern Africa.

Summer form

Description

The wingspan is 36–38 mm for males and 38–40 mm for females. The upper surface of the wings are variegated brown and grey.

Distribution

This species is found from Cape Town and the eastern side of South Africa,^[2] to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Angola, and to Kenya and Ethiopia.

Life cycle

Larvae

The larvae feed on Barleria, Justicia and Peristrophe species, including Peristrophe hensii.

Adults

Adults are on wing year round, although they are scarcer in the dry season.^[3]

References

1. Sarangesa, Site of Markku Savela
2. Biodiversity data provided by: Data contributors to the Southern African Butterfly Conservation Assessment (SABCA) (list of contributors accessible here: http://sabca.adu.org.za/thanks.php), a joint project of the South African National Biodiversity Institute, the Animal Demography Unit, University of Cape Town, and the Lepidopterists' Society of Africa (accessed via SABCA’s online virtual museum, http://sabca.adu.org.za/vm_redirect.php, 24 06 2010)
3. Woodhall, S. (2005) Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. ISBN 1-86872-724-6.