Hypoleucis ophiusa

Hypoleucis ophiusa, the common costus skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.[2] The habitat consists of forests.

Hypoleucis ophiusa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Hesperiidae
Genus:
Hypoleucis
Species:
H. ophiusa
Binomial name
Hypoleucis ophiusa
(Hewitson, 1866)[1]
Synonyms
  • Hesperia ophiusa Hewitson, 1866

Adults are attracted to flowers, especially those of Costus species and gingers. Adult males are also attracted to bird droppings.

The larvae feed on Costus species, including Costus afer. They live in shelters constructed of rolled leaves and eat three-quarters of the leaf of their host plant before leaving the shelter. Pupation takes place at the base of the leaf.

Subspecies
  • Hypoleucis ophiusa ophiusa (Senegal, to Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Mayoumbe)
  • Hypoleucis ophiusa ophir Evans, 1937 (Democratic Republic of the Congo: excluding the Mayoumbe area, Uganda, western Tanzania, Zambia)
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References
  1. Hypoleucis at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Afrotropical Butterflies: Hesperiidae - Subfamily Hesperiinae


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