Apallaga mokeezi explained

Apallaga mokeezi, also known as the large sprite, large flat or Christmas forester, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in South Africa (from Transkei to KwaZulu-Natal and Transvaal) and Mozambique. The habitat consists coastal forests and montane forests.^[1]

The wingspan is 40–48 mm for males and 45–51 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round in warmer areas with peaks in late summer and autumn.^[2]

The larvae feed on Isoglossa woodii (buckweed).

Subspecies

• Apallaga mokeezi mokeezi - South Africa: from eastern Cape to the southern KwaZulu-Natal coast and midlands
• Apallaga mokeezi separata (Strand, 1911) - southern Mozambique, Eswatini, South Africa: Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal

Notes and References

1. Web site: Afrotropical Butterflies: Hesperiidae - Subfamily Pyrginae . 2012-11-09 . 2013-12-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203030759/http://atbutterflies.com/downloads/hesperiidae_pyrginae.doc . dead .
2. Book: Woodhall, Steve . Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa . 2005 . Cape Town, South Africa . Struik . 978-1-86872-724-7 .