Butterflies of
Africa
White-bodied Grass Skipper
Monza cretacea
SNELLEN, 1872
Family - HESPERIIDAE
subfamily -
HESPERIINAE
Tribe -
Monza cretacea,
Wli Falls, Ghana / Togo border
Introduction
There are 5 known species in the genus
Monza, all of which are Afrotropical in distribution. The most widespread
and abundant of these is
alberti which occurs from Senegal
to western Kenya. It is smaller than
cretacea, and darker, almost black.
Monza cretacea is found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa,
from Sierra Leone to Uganda, western Kenya and north-west
Tanzania.
Habitats
This species is found in dry forests, secondary woodland, and along logging
roads and clearings in rainforest. It also occurs in thickets in savannah
country.
Lifecycle
The larvae have been reared in
captivity on Setaria and
Saccharum ( Poaceae ), but the wild foodplants are unrecorded. The larva
of the closely related species alberti has been
found feeding on Pennisetum in the wild.
Adult behaviour
The butterfly is normally encountered in low numbers. Males perch
on low foliage in forest-edge habitats to await passing females.
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