Tarsocera cassus
Encyclopedia
The Spring Widow is a butterfly
of the Nymphalidae
family. It is found in South Africa
.
The wingspan
is 42-52 mm for males and 50-57 mm for females. Adults are on wing from September to December (with a peak in October or November). There is one generation per year
The larvae feed on various Poaceae
species, including Lolium temulentum
and Haparrhenia hirta.
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 Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
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 42-52 mm for males and 50-57 mm for females. Adults are on wing from September to December (with a peak in October or November). There is one generation per year
The larvae feed on various Poaceae
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
species, including Lolium temulentum
Lolium temulentum
Lolium temulentum, typically known as darnel, poison darnel or cockle, is an annual plant that forms part of the Poaceae family and part of the Lolium genus. The plant stem can grow up to one meter tall, with inflorescence in the ears and purple grain...
and Haparrhenia hirta.
Subspecies
- Tarsocera cassus cassus (northern Cape south to the south-western parts of the West Cape)
- Tarsocera cassus outeniqua Vári, 1971 (Little Karoo and the south-eastern part of the West Cape)