Ypthima impura
Encyclopedia
The Impure Ringlet is a butterfly
of the Nymphalidae
family. It is found in most of sub-Sahara
n Africa
.
The wingspan
is 32-36 mm for males and 34-38 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round with peak in early summer and autumn in southern Africa.
The larvae feed on Poaceae
grasses. Larvae have also been reared on Ehrharta erecta
.
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 most of sub-Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
n 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 32-36 mm for males and 34-38 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round with peak in early summer and autumn in southern Africa.
The larvae feed on 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...
grasses. Larvae have also been reared on Ehrharta erecta
Ehrharta erecta
Ehrharta erecta is a species of grass also known as panic veldtgrass. The species is native to Southern Africa and Yemen. It is a documented invasive species in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, southern Europe, and China....
.
Subspecies
- Ypthima impura impura (Ivory Coast to Nigeria, Cameroon, Zaire, Angola)
- Ypthima impura paupera Ungemach, 1932 -Bushveld Ringlet (Ethiopia, from eastern Africa to Transvaal and KwaZulu-Natal)