Vanessa hippomene

Vanessa hippomene, commonly known as the southern short-tailed admiral, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae which is native to South Africa and Madagascar.

Southern short-tailed admiral
Antanartia hippomene madegassorum, female upper and undersides
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Vanessa
Species:
V. hippomene
Binomial name
Vanessa hippomene
(Hübner, [1823])
Synonyms
  • Antanartia hippomene (Hübner, 1823)
  • Hypanartia hippomene Hübner, [1823]
  • Antanartia hippomene f. milanion Stoneham, 1965
  • Hypanartia hippomene var. madegassorum Aurivillius, 1899

Wingspan is 45–45 mm in males and 42–48 mm in females. Has two or three flight periods with peak between April and May.[1]

The larvae feed on Fleurya capensis, Laportia peduncularis, Pouzolia parasitica, Didymodoxa caffra and Urtica species.[1]

This species was traditionally considered to be a member of the genus Antanartia, but recent molecular analyses reveals that it is more closely related to members of the genus Vanessa.[2]

Subspecies

References

  1. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
  2. Wahlberg, Niklas; Rubinoff, Daniel (2011). "Vagility across Vanessa (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae): mobility in butterfly species does not inhibit the formation and persistence of isolated sister taxa". Systematic Entomology. 36 (2): 362–370. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.2010.00566.x.


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