Alenia namaqua, the Namaqua dancer or Namaqua sandman, is a species of butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is only known from Namaqualand in the Northern Cape of South Africa, from Calvinia north through Kamiensberg into Namibia.

Alenia namaqua
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Alenia
Species:
A. namaqua
Binomial name
Alenia namaqua
Vári, 1974[1]

The wingspan is 21–26 mm for males and 26–29 mm for females. Adults are on wing from September to November. There is one generation per year.[2]

The larvae feed on Blepharis capensis.

References

edit
  1. ^ Alenia 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.