Gegenes pumilio
Gegenes pumilio
Gegenes pumilio is ( Hesperiidae ) is a butterfly of the family of Dickkopffalter.
Features
The forewing length is 14 mm. The outer edge of the front wing is slightly convex. The top is dark brown. The underside is gray-brown with hints brighter Postdiskalflecke on all wings. The female is on the top a little brighter with little brighter Postdiskalflecken on the front wings ( also available on the bottom). The underside is light gray-brown.
Geographic occurrence and habitat
Gegenes pumilio is distributed from the shores of the Mediterranean through the Middle East to the Himalayas and to the south by the whole of Africa. The folder holds on to dry, hot, coastal slopes, rocky areas and extensively used olive groves. Rarely, it occurs in up to 1200 meters above sea level on sun-exposed, hot slopes in the hinterland of the coastal regions.
Way of life
The moths fly in the Mediterranean from April to October in several generations (usually three generations) The males are territorial. In South Africa, an unbroken succession of generations is formed in warmer regions, with a maximum of October to March. In cooler areas, the moths fly only available from October to March. The caterpillar lives on different grass species for South Africa Pennisetum be clandestinum, Ehrharta spp. and dog tooth grasses ( Cynodon ) spp. specified.
System
The species was described in 1804 by Johann Centurius of Hoffmannsegg as Hesperia nostradamus pumilio from near Naples for the first time. There are at least three synonyms:
- Gegenes pygmaeus Cyrillo, 1787 (theoretically the oldest name for the species, but is a junior homonym and thus invalid)
- Gegenes lefebvrei Rambur, 1840
Currently, two to three subspecies are distinguished:
- Gegenes pumilio pumilio ( Hoffmannsegg, 1804)
- Gegenes pumilio Gambica ( Mabille, 1878 ), Africa, Arabian Peninsula to Lebanon, Turkey to North India
Gegenes monochroa ( Rebel, 1907) is also listed by some websites as a subspecies of Gegenes pumilio. However, most authors consider the taxon as a separate article
According to a recent work by Torben Bjørn Larsen, the ssp different. Gambica by their chromosome number of the Nominatunterart ( n = 41 at pumilio Gambica and n = 24 at pumilio pumilio ). He concludes that Gambica is to be accepted as an independent type.