Ypthima impura

Ypthima impura, the impure ringlet (known in Afrikaans as the vuil-ringetjie), is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in most of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Ypthima impura
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Nymphalidae
Genus:
Ypthima
Species:
Y. impura
Binomial name
Ypthima impura
Elwes & Edwards, 1893[1]
Synonyms
  • Ypthima impura f. impura Elwes & Edwards, 1893
  • Ypthima pupillaris paupera Ungemach, 1932
  • Ypthima pupillaris f. hiemis Ungemach, 1932
  • Ypthima impura f. badhami van Son, 1955
  • Ypthima badhami
  • Ypthima paupera

The wingspan is 32–36 mm for males and 34–38 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round with peak in early summer and autumn in southern Africa.[2] The butterfly usually has three ocelli on the underside of their hindwing, although these may not appear during the dry season.[3]

The larvae feed on Poaceae grasses. Larvae have also been reared on Ehrharta erecta.[4] Females are usually more sedentary than males, with stouter abdomens.[5]

Subspecies

The species may be divided into the following subspecies:

  • Ypthima impura impura (Ivory Coast to Nigeria, Cameroon, Zaire, Angola)[6]
  • Ypthima impura paupera Ungemach, 1932 -Bushveld ringlet (Ethiopia, from eastern Africa to Transvaal and KwaZulu-Natal)[6]
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References
  1. "Ypthima Hübner, 1818" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
  3. Subtribe Ypthima
  4. Swaziland National Trust Commission Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Willis, C. and S. Woodhall. Butterflies of South Africa's National Botanical Gardens. SANBI Biodiversity Series 16, 2010.
  6. Afrotropical Butterflies: File E – Nymphalidae - Subtribe Ypthimina


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