Tagiades flesus
Encyclopedia
The Clouded Flat, Clouded Forester or Clouded Skipper (Tagiades flesus) is a butterfly
of the Hesperiidae family from southern Africa
.
is 35–47 mm for males and 43–49 mm for females. The upper surface of the wings is brownish with translucent spots near the apex of the forewings. These spots are larger in the female than in the male. The undersurface of the hindwings is white with a semicircle of irregular black spots. The winter form is lighter in colour than the summer form.
of South Africa
, through Swaziland
and to the border of Zimbabwe
.
species (including Dioscorea malifolia) and Grewia
species. The larva makes a shelter by cutting part way through a leaf from its edge and folding it over, or by sticking two leaves together with silk.
and Tabernaemontana ventricosa. These butterflies usually sit with the wings open.
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 Hesperiidae family from southern 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...
.
Description
The wingspanWingspan
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 35–47 mm for males and 43–49 mm for females. The upper surface of the wings is brownish with translucent spots near the apex of the forewings. These spots are larger in the female than in the male. The undersurface of the hindwings is white with a semicircle of irregular black spots. The winter form is lighter in colour than the summer form.
Distribution
This species is found in forest areas from the Eastern CapeEastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
of 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...
, through Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
and to the border of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
.
Eggs
Single eggs are laid on the shoots of the food plants.Larvae
The larvae feed on DioscoreaDioscorea
Dioscorea is a genus of over 600 species of flowering plants in the family Dioscoreaceae, native throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. The vast majority of the species are tropical, with only a few species extending into temperate climates...
species (including Dioscorea malifolia) and Grewia
Grewia
The large flowering plant genus Grewia is today placed by most authors in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by in the APG. Formerly, it was placed in either the linden family or the Sparrmanniaceae...
species. The larva makes a shelter by cutting part way through a leaf from its edge and folding it over, or by sticking two leaves together with silk.
Adults
Adults are on wing year round; in warmer areas with peaks in late summer and autumn. The males select territories and fly rapidly, with the white underside of the wings 'flashing'. The females fly randomly throughout the forest. The adults feed from flowers, including those of Deinbollia oblongifoliaDeinbollia oblongifolia
Deinbollia oblongifolia is a shrub or small tree in the family Sapindaceae. It is commonly known as the Dune Soap-berry and is found in coastal vegetation from the Eastern Cape of South Africa, through KwaZulu-Natal to southern Mozambique and Swaziland.-Description:These plants can grow up to 9 m...
and Tabernaemontana ventricosa. These butterflies usually sit with the wings open.