Dira swanepoeli
{{Short description|Species of butterfly}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Swanepoel's widow
| image = NW145-11 Dira swanepoli (3430851183).jpg
| image_caption = Dira swanepoli
| taxon = Dira swanepoeli
| authority = (van Son, 1939)
| synonyms = *Leptoneura swanepoeli van Son, 1939
}}
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.[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
Description
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.{{cite book|last=Woodhall |first=Steve |title=Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa |year=2005 |location=Cape Town, South Africa |publisher=Struik |isbn=978-1-86872-724-7 }}
Habitat and behavior
Adults are observed residing in rocky grasslands with stunted forest clearings, specifically in areas with long grass like Merxmullera.{{Cite journal |last=Woodhall |first=Steve |date=2001 |title=Looking for Dira |url=https://metamorphosis.org.za/?p=articles&s=Details&i=799 |journal=Metamorphosis |publisher=The Lepidopterists' Society of Afrcia |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=50–52 |issn=((1018-6490)) |via=Lepsoc}}
The larvae feed on various Poaceae species, including Eragrostis aspera, Ehrharta erecta and Pennisetum clandestinum.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}
Subspecies
- Dira swanepoeli swanepoeli (northern Transvaal)
- Dira swanepoeli isolata van Son, 1955 (Blouberg Range in northern Transvaal)
References
{{Commons}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q5280157}}
Category:Butterflies described in 1939
{{Satyrini-stub}}