Tarsocera cassus

Tarsocera cassus
Tarsocera cassus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Tribe: Satyrini
Genus: Tarsocera
Species: T. cassus
Binomial name
Tarsocera cassus
(Linnaeus, 1764)[1]
Synonyms
  • Papilio cassus Linnaeus, 1764
  • Dira cassus (Linnaeus, 1764)

The Spring Widow (Tarsocera cassus) 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[2]

The larvae feed on various Poaceae species, including Lolium temulentum 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)

References

  1. ^ Tarsocera, Site of Markku Savela
  2. ^ Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.
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