Zintha hintza

Blue-eyed Pierrot
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Tribe: Polyommatini
Genus: Zintha
Eliot, 1973
Species: Z. hintza
Binomial name
Zintha hintza
(Trimen, 1864)
Synonyms
  • Castalius hintza (Trimen, 1864)
  • Lycaena hintza Trimen, 1864

Zintha is a butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae. It is monotypic, with the only species being Zintha hintza, the Blue-eyed Pierrot, Blue Pied Pierrot or Hintza Blue. The pied pierrots proper are the closely related genus Tuxentius, however, but like Zintha they were formerly included in Castalius.[1]

The wingspan is 24-28 mm for males and 24-27 mm for females. Adults are on wing from September to April.[2]

The larvae feed on Ziziphus species, including Ziziphus zeheriana and Ziziphus mucronata.

Distribution and subspecies

This butterfly occurs in tropical eastern and southern Africa. Three subspecies are recognized:[3]

South Africa to Kenya, possibly Zaire
Namibia and adjacent regions
Ethiopia and adjacent regions

Footnotes

  1. ^ Brower (2008), and see references in Savela (2007)
  2. ^ Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.
  3. ^ See references in Savela (2007)

References