Dira swanepoeli
Species of butterfly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dira swanepoeli, or Swanepoel's widow, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the southern slopes of the Blouberg Range in Limpopo, South Africa.[1]
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| Swanepoel's widow | |
|---|---|
| |
| Dira swanepoli | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Dira |
| Species: | D. swanepoeli |
| Binomial name | |
| Dira swanepoeli (van Son, 1939) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Description
Habitat and behavior
Adults are observed residing in rocky grasslands with stunted forest clearings, specifically in areas with long grass like Merxmullera.[3]
The larvae feed on various Poaceae species, including Eragrostis aspera, Ehrharta erecta and Pennisetum clandestinum.[citation needed]
Subspecies
- Dira swanepoeli swanepoeli (northern Transvaal)
- Dira swanepoeli isolata van Son, 1955 (Blouberg Range in northern Transvaal)
