Spialia confusa

Spialia confusa, the confusing sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in south-eastern Africa, from Zululand, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to Kenya.

Confusing sandman
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Spialia
Species:
S. confusa
Binomial name
Spialia confusa
(Higgins, 1925)[1]
Synonyms
  • Hesperia transvaaliae var. confusa Higgins, 1925
  • Hesperia transvaaliae var. fasciata Higgins, 1924
  • Hesperia transvaaliae var. obscura Higgins, 1924

The wingspan is 19–25 mm.[2] These skippers are dark brown with white spots and both sides of the wings. In S. confusa, there is median band of white on the underside of the hindwings.[2] Adults are on wing year-round with peaks from October to March.[2]

The larvae feed on Melhania and Triumfetta species.

Subspecies
  • Spialia confusa confusa (central Tanzania, Malawi, northern Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, South Africa: Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal)
  • Spialia confusa obscura Evans, 1937 (eastern and central Kenya, north-eastern Tanzania)

References
  1. Spialia 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.


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