Spalgis lemolea
| Spalgis lemolea | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Spalgis |
| Species: | S. lemolea |
| Binomial name | |
| Spalgis lemolea Druce, 1890[1] | |
| Synonyms | |
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Spalgis lemolea, the Lemolea Harvester or African Apefly, is a butterfly in the Lycaenidae family. It is found in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, from Gabon to Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, northern Zimbabwe and Botswana.[2] The habitat consists of forests and dense savanna (Guinea savanna and Miombo woodland), as well as thick riverine bush.
Adults are attracted to water and fresh as well as dry bird droppings.
The larvae are broad and slug-like and are hairy and either black or dark grey in colour. They resemble the coccids upon which they feed. These include Dactylopius (including Dactylopius longispinus, Dactylopius virgatus var. madagascariensis), Pseudococcus, Phenacoccus, Planococcoides, Ferrisiana and Planococcus species.
Subspecies
- Spalgis lemolea lemolea (Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon to Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, northern Zimbabwe, Botswana)
- Spalgis lemolea pilos Druce, 1890 (Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon)
References
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