Deudorix diocles

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Superfamilia: Papilionoidea

Familia: Lycaenidae
Subfamilia: Theclinae
Tribe: Deudorigini
Genus: Deudorix
Subgenus: Virachola
Subspecies: Deudorix diocles
Name

Deudorix diocles Hewitson, [1869].

Type locality: South Africa: “Natal”.

Holotype: ♂ BMNH?
Synonymy

Deudorix diocles Hewitson, [1869]: Supp.12, pl.Supp.5 figs 55,56; Trimen, 1887: 108, pl.7 fig.6.
Deudorix vosseleri Strand, 1911: 195. Tanzania: “Amani”. Synonymy in Williams, 2007: Deudoricina 46.
Virachola diocles diocles (Hewitson); Stempffer, 1967: 110.
Deudorix (Virachola) diocles (Grose-Smith); Williams, 2007: Deudoricina 44.

References

Hewitson, W.C. 1863–1878. Illustrations of diurnal Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae. London, van Vorst, x + 229 pp, 107 pls. Text, plates. Reference page.
Stempffer, H. 1967. The genera of the African Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), entomology. Supplement 10: 322pp, 1pl. BHL Reference page.
Strand, E. 1911d. Danaididae, Satyridae und Lycaenidae aus Usambara, gesammelt von Herrn Prof. Dr. J. Vosseler. Archiv fur Naturgeschichte 77(1): 190–198. BHL. Reference page.
Trimen, R., 1887. In Trimen, R. & Bowker, J.H. South-African butterflies: a monograph of the extra-tropical species. Vol. 2: Erycinidae and Lycaenidae. vi + 242 pp, pls 7–9. London. (Text, plates)Reference page.
Williams, M.C. 2007. Checklist of Afrotropical Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea. 7th Edn. (April 2007). Downloaded from Afrotropical Butterflies. Reference page.

Deudorix diocles, the orange-barred playboy, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Mozambique, from Zimbabwe to Zaïre and in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa. In South Africa it is found along the east coast from the Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal, then north along the foothills of the escarpment to Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

The wingspan is 26–36 mm for males and 29–41 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round with peaks in September and March.[2]

The larvae feed on the fruits and seeds of a wide range of plants, including Bauhinia galpinii, Millettia species (including M. caffra, M. sutherlandii, M. grandis), Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Baphia species (including B. racemosa), Acacia, Bauhinia, Caesalpinia, Schotia, Macadamia, Prunus, Combretum and Syzygium.
References

"Deudorix Hewitson, 1863" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.