Tuxentius hesperis

Tuxentius hesperis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Tuxentius
Species:	T. hesperis
Binomial name
Tuxentius hesperis (Vári, 1976)[1]
Synonyms
Castalius hesperis Vári, 1976

Tuxentius hesperis, the western pie, is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in South Africa, where it is only known from Groblershoop and Vioolsdrif and along the banks of the Orange River in the Northern Cape.

The wingspan is 18–22 mm for males and 20–23 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round, but are most common from October to December.^[2]

The larvae feed on Ziziphus mucronata.

References

1. Tuxentius at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms
2. Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.