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
  • Castalius hintza krooni Dickson, 1973
  • Castalius resplendens Butler, 1876

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

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