Durbania amakosa
Encyclopedia
The Amakosa Rocksitter (Durbania amakosa) is a butterfly
of the Lycaenidae
family. It is found in South Africa
.
The wingspan
is 26-35 mm for males and 29-38 mm for females. Adults are on wing from November to January. There is one generation per year.
The larva
e feed on Cyanobacteria species.
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 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...
.
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 26-35 mm for males and 29-38 mm for females. Adults are on wing from November to January. There is one generation per year.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e feed on Cyanobacteria species.
Subspecies
- Durbania amakosa amakosa (KwaZulu-Natal and East Cape)
- Durbania amakosa natalensis van Son, 1959 (KwaZulu-Natal midlands and Drakensberg foothills)
- Durbania amakosa ayresi van Son, 1941 (along Drakensberg from Swaziland to Mpumalanga)
- Durbania amakosa penningtoni van Son, 1959 (East Cape from Bedford to Grahamstown and Port Elizaberth)
- Durbania amakosa albescens Quickelberge, 1981 (localised from Margate to Port Edward in southern KwaZulu-Natal)
- Durbania amakosa flavida Quickelberge, 1981 (rare and localised in lower KwaZulu-Natal hills)
- Durbania amakosa sagittata Henning & Henning, 1993 (eastern Drakensberg and Maluti foothills and Orange Free State)