Gretna balenge, commonly known as the giant crepuscular skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.[2] The habitat consists of all areas where suitable palms grow.

Gretna balenge
Figure 3
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Gretna
Species:
G. balenge
Binomial name
Gretna balenge
(Holland, 1891)[1]
Synonyms
  • Proteides balenge Holland, 1891

Adults are attracted to various kinds of foul substances.

The larvae feed on Raphia farinifera and Eremospatha species.

Subspecies

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  • Gretna balenge balenge - Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, western Uganda, north-western Tanzania, northern Zambia
  • Gretna balenge zowa Lindsey & Miller, 1965 - Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo

References

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