Spialia colotes, the Bushveld sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. The species was first described by Herbert Druce in 1875. It is found in Angola, Botswana and from South Africa to Ethiopia and south-western Arabia.[2]

Bushveld sandman
Figure 11
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Spialia
Species:
S. colotes
Binomial name
Spialia colotes
(H. Druce, 1875)[1]
Synonyms
  • Pyrgus colotes H. Druce, 1875
  • Pyrgus transvaaliae Trimen, 1889
  • Pyrgus nora Plötz, 1884

The wingspan is from 21–28 mm.[2]

The flight period is from December to May, with a single brood.[2]

The larvae feed on Hibiscus fuscus.

Subspecies

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  • Spialia colotes colotes (Angola)
  • Spialia colotes semiconfluens de Jong, 1978 (Ethiopia, Somalia, eastern Kenya, north-eastern Uganda, south-western Arabia)
  • Spialia colotes transvaaliae (Trimen, 1889) - Transvaal grizzled skipper (South West Africa, Botswana, Transvaal, from Zimbabwe to Kenya)

References

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  1. Savela, Markku (February 10, 2019). "Spialia colotes (Druce, 1875)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 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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