Spalgis lemolea

Spalgis lemolea, the lemolea harvester or African apefly, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. The species was first described by Hamilton Herbert Druce in 1890. It is found in Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, from Gabon to Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, northern Zimbabwe and Botswana.[2] The habitat consists of forests and dense savannah (Guinea savannah and miombo woodland), as well as thick riverine bush.

Spalgis lemolea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Lycaenidae
Genus:
Spalgis
Species:
S. lemolea
Binomial name
Spalgis lemolea
Synonyms
  • Spalgis latimarginata Sharpe, 1890
  • Spalgis s-signata Holland, 1890

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. 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, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon to Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, northern Zimbabwe, Botswana)
  • Spalgis lemolea pilos H. H. Druce, 1890 (Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon)

References
  1. Savela, Markku (September 25, 2016). "Spalgis lemolea Druce, 1890". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  2. Afrotropical Butterflies: Lycaenidae - Subtribe Spalgina


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