Dira swanepoeli explained

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]

The wingspan is 58–65 mm for males and 60–68 mm for females. Adults are on wing from late February to early March. There is one generation per year.^[2]

The larvae feed on various Poaceae species, including Eragrostis aspera, Ehrharta erecta and Pennisetum clandestinum.

Subspecies

• Dira swanepoeli swanepoeli (northern Transvaal)
• Dira swanepoeli isolata van Son, 1955 (Blouberg Range in northern Transvaal)

Notes and References

1. http://ftp.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/nymphalidae/satyrinae/dira/ "Dira Hübner, [1819]"] at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
2. Book: Woodhall, Steve . Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa . 2005 . Cape Town, South Africa . Struik . 978-1-86872-724-7 .