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biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

 Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies)

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Ecdysozoa > Panarthropoda > Tritocerebra > Phylum: Arthopoda > Mandibulata > Atelocerata > Panhexapoda > Hexapoda > Insecta (insects) > Dicondyla > Pterygota > Metapterygota > Neoptera > Eumetabola > Holometabola > Panorpida > Amphiesmenoptera

Moths and butterflies are distinguished from other insects by having scales on their wings. Butterflies can usually be distinguished from moths by their clubbed antennae.

Classification of taxa recorded from southern Africa

Micropterigidae

One genus native to southern Africa: Agrionympha

 

Glossata

 
 

Coelolepida

 
   

Myoglossata

 
     

Neolepidoptera

 
       

Hepialoidea

 
         

Prototheoridae

One genus, Prototheora, with 11 species native to southern Africa.

 
         

Hepialidae (ghost moths)

Six genera and 66 species native to southern Africa

 
       

Heteroneura

 
         

Nepticuloidea

 
           

Nepticulidae

Eight genera and 118 species native in southern Africa

 
           

Opostegidae

Two genera and 15 species native to southern Africa

 
         

Incurvarioidea

 
           

Heliozelidae

One genus, Antispila, native to southern Africa, with two species recorded from this region.

 
           

Adelidae

Three genera and 68 species native to southern Africa

 
           

Incurvariidae

Protaephagus capensis is the only species native to southern Africa.

 
           

Cecidosidae

One genus, Scyrotis native to southern Africa, with four species recorded from the region. Includes Scyrotis athleta (Jumping-ball moth), which galls leaves of Searsia lucida.

 
           

Prodoxidae

Two genera and two species native to southern Africa

 
         

Tischerioidea

 
           

Tischeriidae

One genus and one species native to southern Africa: Tischeria zextica

 
         

DITRYSIA

 

 

Publications

Southern African moths and butterflies

  • Kroon, D.M. 1999. Lepidoptera of Southern Africa - Host-plants and other Associations. A Catalogue. Published by the author and Lepidopterists' Society of Africa, P.O. Box 477, Jukskei Park 2153, South Africa. 

  • Migdoll, I. 1987. Field Guide to the Butterflies of Southern Africa. C. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
  • Pinhey, E.C.G. 1975. Moths of Southern Africa. Tafelberg, Cape Town.

  • Pringle, E.L.L., Henning, G.A. & Ball, J.B. 1994. Pennington's Butterflies of Southern Africa. Second edition. Struik Winchester, Cape Town.

  • Vári, L., Kroon, D.M. and Krüger, M. 2002. Classification and Checklist of the Species of Lepidoptera Recorded in Southern Africa. Privately Published (ISBN 0-620-29110-9; available from P.O. Box 572, Sasolburg 1947, South Africa).

Biology of Lepidoptera

  • Nishida, R. 2002. Sequestration of defensive substances from plants by Lepidoptera. Annual Review of Entomology 47: 57-92.