Ornipholidotos peucetia
Encyclopedia
The Large Glasswing or White Mimic (Ornipholidotos peucetia) is a butterfly
of the Lycaenidae
family. It is found in southern and south-eastern Africa
.
The wingspan
is 35-37 mm for males and females. Adults are on wing from November to May with a peak in late summer. 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 southern and south-eastern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
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 35-37 mm for males and females. Adults are on wing from November to May with a peak in late summer. 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
- Ornipholidotos peucetia peucetia (eastern Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, western Tanzania, southern Uganda)
- Ornipholidotos peucetia penningtoni (Riley, 1944) (along the coast from Mozambique to Zululand)
- Ornipholidotos peucetia chyuluensis van Someren, 1939 (south-eastern Kenya (Chyulu Hills))
- Ornipholidotos peucetia meru van Someren