Deudorix diocles
Encyclopedia
The Orange-barred Playboy (Deudorix diocles) is a butterfly
of the Lycaenidae
family. It is found in Mozambique
, from Zimbabwe
to Zaïre
and in Uganda
, Kenya
and South Africa
. In South Africa it is found along the east coast from the East Cape to KwaZulu-Natal
, then north along the foothills of the escarpment to Mpumalanga
and the Limpopo Province.
The wingspan
is 26-36 mm for males and 29-41 mm for females. Adults are on year round with peaks in September and March.
The larvae feed on the fruits and seeds of a wide range of plants, including Bauhinia galpinii, Millettia
species (including Millettia caffra, Millettia sutherlandii, Millettia grandis
), Caesalpinia pulcherrima
, Baphia
species (including Baphia racemosa), Acacia
, Bauhinia
, Caesalpinia
, Schotia
, Macadamia
, Prunus
, Combretum
and Syzygium
.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Lycaenidae
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
family. It is found in Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, from Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
to Zaïre
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
and in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. In South Africa it is found along the east coast from the East Cape to KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, then north along the foothills of the escarpment to Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga , is a province of South Africa. The name means east or literally "the place where the sun rises" in Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, north of KwaZulu-Natal and bordering Swaziland and Mozambique. It constitutes 6.5% of South Africa's land area...
and the Limpopo Province.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 26-36 mm for males and 29-41 mm for females. Adults are on year round with peaks in September and March.
The larvae feed on the fruits and seeds of a wide range of plants, including Bauhinia galpinii, Millettia
Millettia
Millettia is a genus of legume in the Fabaceae family.It consists of about 150 species, which are distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world.-Species:Species include:* Millettia aurea*Millettia brandisiana...
species (including Millettia caffra, Millettia sutherlandii, Millettia grandis
Millettia grandis
Millettia grandis is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family from South Africa. It is commonly called Umzimbeet which is a name derived from the isiZulu name umSimbithwa.-Distribution:...
), Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Caesalpinia pulcherrima is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas. Its exact origin is unknown due to widespread cultivation...
, Baphia
Baphia
Baphia is a genus of legume in the Fabaceae family.It contains the following species:* Baphia abyssinica* Baphia capparidifolia* Baphia dewildeana* Baphia heudelotiana* Baphia keniensis* Baphia kirkii* Baphia latiloi...
species (including Baphia racemosa), Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
, Bauhinia
Bauhinia
Bauhinia is a genus of more than 200 species of flowering plants in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the large flowering plant family Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution. The genus was named after the Bauhin brothers, Swiss-French botanists....
, Caesalpinia
Caesalpinia
Caesalpinia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. Membership within the genus is controversial, with different publications including anywhere from 70 to 165 species, depending largely on the inclusion or exclusion of species alternately listed under genera such as...
, Schotia
Schotia
Schotia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the sub family Caesalpinioideae. It occurs in southern Africa. The genus was named for Richard van der Schot by Jacquin who was the director of the Imperial Gardens at Schönbrunn Palace, Viena...
, Macadamia
Macadamia
Macadamia is a genus of nine species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae, with a disjunct distribution native to eastern Australia , New Caledonia and Sulawesi in Indonesia ....
, Prunus
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. There are around 430 species spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for fruit and ornament.-Botany:Members of the genus...
, Combretum
Combretum
The bushwillows or combretums, Combretum, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 370 species of trees and shrubs, roughly 300 of which are native to tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar, some 25 to tropical Asia and approximately 40 to tropical...
and Syzygium
Syzygium
Syzygium is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1100 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific...
.