Gegenes niso

Gegenes niso
Gegenes niso on garden Heliotropium
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Gegenes
Species: G. niso
Binomial name
Gegenes niso
(Linnaeus, 1764)[1]
Synonyms
  • Papilio niso Linnaeus, 1764
  • Hesperia letterstedti Wallengren, 1857
  • Pamphila indica Mabille, 1883
  • Gegenes hottentota ocra Evans, 1937
  • Thymelicus brevicornis Plötz, 1884

The Common Hottentot Skipper or Plain Hottentot Skipper (Gegenes niso) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in Africa. It is found in a wide range of habitats, including savanna, grassland and open patches in forests.[2]

The wingspan is 29–33 mm for males and 29–35 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round in warmer areas (with a peak from October to March) and from October to March in cooler areas.[3]

The larvae feed on Ehrharta species (including Ehrharta erecta), Pennisetum clandestinum, Zea and Cynodon species.

Subspecies

References

  1. Gegenes, Site of Markku Savela
  2. Afrotropical Butterflies: Hesperiidae - Subfamily Hesperiinae
  3. Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.
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