Leptosia alcesta

Leptosia alcesta, the African wood white or flip flop, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae, found in Africa.[1]

African wood white
Both L. a. inalcesta
Mabibi, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Genus: Leptosia
Species:
L. alcesta
Binomial name
Leptosia alcesta
(Stoll, [1782])[1]
Synonyms
  • Papilio alcesta Stoll, [1782]
  • Papilio narica Fabricius, 1793
  • Pseudopontia cepheus Ehrmann, 1894
  • Leucophasia sylvicola Boisduval, 1833

The wingspan is 30–40 mm in males and 35–42 mm in females. The adults fly year-round, peaking from March to May.[2]

The larvae feed on Ritchiea species, Capparis fascicularis, and Capparis brassii.[2]

Subspecies
  • L. a. alcesta (Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
  • L. a. inalcesta Bernardi, 1959 (Uganda, southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, eastern Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland)
  • L. a. pseudonuptilla Bernardi, 1959 (Democratic Republic of the Congo to Ethiopia)
  • L. a. sylvicola (Boisduval, 1833) (Madagascar)
  • L. a. alcesta, Ghana
    L. a. alcesta, Ghana
  • L. a. inalcesta,In flight
    L. a. inalcesta,In flight
  • Worn specimen with the appearance of a face
    Worn specimen with the appearance of a face
  • L. a. sylvicola, Madagascar
    L. a. sylvicola, Madagascar

References
  1. Leptosia alcesta, funet.fi
  2. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.


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