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
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
Synonyms
  • Hesperia moritili Wallengren, 1857
  • Apaustus zephora Plötz, 1884
  • Pamphila heterophyla Mabille, 1891
  • Pamphila amadhu Mabille, 1891
  • Platylesches moritili f. costalis Aurivillius, 1925

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
  1. Platylesches 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.
  3. Afrotropical Butterflies: Hesperiidae - Subfamily Hesperiinae


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