AFROTROPICAL BUTTERFLIES. MARK C. WILLIAMS. http://www.lepsocafrica.org/?p=publications&s=atb Updated 15 August 2021 Genus Deudorix Hewitson, [1863] Playboys Illustrations of diurnal lepidoptera. Lycaenidae 1: [i-viii], [1-228]; 2: 1-95; Supplement: 1-48. London. = Virachola Moore, [1881]. In: Moore, [1880-2]. The lepidoptera of Ceylon 1: 104 (190 pp.). London. Type-species: Deudorix perse Hewitson, by original designation [extralimital]. The genus Deudorix belongs to the Family Lycaenidae Leach, 1815; Subfamily Theclinae Swainson, 1831; Tribe Deudorigini Doherty, 1886. The other genera in the Tribe Deudorigini in the Afrotropical Region are Hypomyrina, Paradeudorix, Pilodeudorix and Capys. Deudorix (Playboys) is an Old World genus with 23 Afrotropical species. Revision of the Afrotropical taxa by Libert, 2004c. antalus species group antalus sub-group antalus, livia, ungemachi suk sub-group suk, vansoni, ecaudata batikeli species group batikeli sub-group batikeli, lorisona, dariaves, vansomereni, diopolis, edwardsi, ufipa, diocles, kayonza dinochares sub-group dinochares, dinomenes galathea sub-group galathea, odana, caliginosa, nicephora renidens sub-group renidens Taxon of indeterminate status batikelides 1 *Deudorix antalus (Hopffer, 1855)# Brown Playboy Male (left) and female (right) Brown Playboy (Deudorix antalus). Images courtesy Steve Woodhall. Dipsas antalus Hopffer, 1855. Berichte über die zur Bekanntmachung geeigneten Verhandlungen der Königl. Preuss. Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1855: 641 (639-643). Deudorix antalus (Hopffer, 1855). Hewitson, 1863 comb. nov. Deudorix antalus (Hopffer, 1855). Trimen & Bowker, 1887b. Deudorix antalus Hopffer. Swanepoel, 1953a. Deudorix antalus (Hopffer, 1855). Dickson & Kroon, 1978. Deudorix (Virachola) antalus (Hopffer, 1855). Pringle et al., 1994: 166. Virachola antalus Hopffer, 1855. d’Abrera, 2009: 771. Deudorix antalus (Hopffer, 1855). Collins et al., 2014. Deudorix antalus. Male (Wingspan 28 mm). Left – upperside; right – underside. Thabazimbi, Limpopo Province, South Africa. 26 May 2012. M. Williams. Images M.C. Williams ex Williams Collection. 2 Deudorix antalus. Female (Wingspan 32 mm). Left – upperside; right – underside. La Lucia, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. March, 2000. M. Williams. Images M.C. Williams ex Williams Collection. Alternative common name: Common Brown Playboy. Type locality: Mozambique: “Mossambique”. Holotype (male): Querimba, Mozambique (Peters); in Z.M.H.U., Berlin. Neallotype (female) designated by Libert (2004): < Caff. > (Krebs); in Z.M.H.U., Berlin. Distribution of Deudorix antalus Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Gabon, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland. Also Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Comoro Islands. Distribution: Sub-Saharan Africa, including Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau (Aurivillius, 1910), Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin (throughout), Nigeria, Gabon, Angola (Mendes et al., 2018), Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia (widespread), Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa (Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape Province, Western Cape Province, Northern Cape Province), Swaziland. Also Arabia (south-western Saudi Arabia, Yemen), Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Comoro Islands. Specific localities: Gambia – Fajara, Bijilo, Kotu, Tintinto, Pirang, Janjanbureh Island, Basse (Jon Baker, pers. comm., May 2020). Liberia – Wologizi (Safian et al., 2020). Ghana – Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (Larsen et al., 2009). Benin – Houeyogbe Forest (Coache & Rainon, 2016); see Coache et al. (2017). Nigeria – Obudu Cattle Ranch (Larsen, 2005a). Gabon – Lambarene (Vande weghe, 2010); Port Gentil (Vande weghe, 2010); Franceville (Vande weghe, 2010). Democratic Republic of Congo – Ituri Forest (Ducarme, 2018); Semuliki Valley (Ducarme, 2018); Mt Mitumba (Ducarme, 2018); Mt Blue (Ducarme, 2018). Uganda – Semuliki N.P. (Davenport & Howard, 1996). Kenya – Mount Elgon (Jackson 1937). Tanzania – Throughout (Kielland, 1990d); Katavi National Park (Fitzherbert et al., 2006). Malawi – Nyika N.P. (J. Timberlake, pers. comm., 2019). Zambia – Ikelenge (Heath et al., 2002); Mufulira (Heath et al., 2002); Kasama (Heath et al., 2002); Mbala (Heath et al., 2002); Nyika (Heath et al., 2002). Mozambique – Mt Inago (Congdon et al., 2010); Mt Namuli (Congdon et al., 2010); Mt Mecula [- 12.0772 37.6297] (Congdon & Bayliss, 2013); Mt Yao [-12.4432 36.5114] (Congdon & Bayliss, 2013). Botswana – Widespread (Larsen, 1991); Hukuntsi (Larsen, 1991); Gaborone Airport (Larsen, 1991). Limpopo Province – Throughout (Swanepoel, 1953); Percy Fyfe Nature Reserve (Warren, 1990); Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve (“Malta Forest”); Highlands Wilderness (Bode & Bode, unpublished checklist); Bateleur Nature Reserve (Williams & Dobson, unpub., 2015). Mpumalanga – Throughout (Swanepoel, 1953); Mariepskop area (Henning, 1994c). North West Province – Throughout (Swanepoel, 1953); Utopia Resort (C. Dobson, 2006). Gauteng – Throughout (Swanepoel, 1953); Witwatersrand Botanical Gardens (J. Dobson, unpublished checklist, 2001); Buffelsdrif Conservancy (Williams). KwaZulu-Natal – Umkomaas (Swanepoel, 1953); Durban (Swanepoel, 1953); Hluhluwe (Swanepoel, 3 1953); Balgowan (Swanepoel, 1953); Estcourt (Swanepoel, 1953); Ladysmith (Swanepoel, 1953); Muden (Swanepoel, 1953; male illustrated above); Ixopo (Swanepoel, 1953); La Lucia (female illustrated above); Kosi Bay Nature Reserve (Pringle & Kyle, 2002); Tembe Nature Reserve (Pringle & Kyle, 2002); Ndumo Nature Reserve (Pringle & Kyle, 2002). Eastern Cape Province – King William’s Town (Trimen, 1862); Grahamstown (Trimen, 1862); Port Elizabeth (Swanepoel, 1953); Cookhouse (Swanepoel, 1953); Alicedale (Swanepoel, 1953); Somerset East (Swanepoel, 1953); Klipplaat (Swanepoel, 1953); Coega (Swanepoel, 1953); Glenconner (Swanepoel, 1953); Cambria (Swanepoel, 1953); East London (Swanepoel, 1953); Umtata (Swanepoel, 1953). Western Cape Province – Cape Town (Swanepoel, 1953); Mamre (Swanepoel, 1953); Montagu (Swanepoel, 1953); Swellendam (Swanepoel, 1953); Oudtshoorn (Swanepoel, 1953); Prince Albert (Swanepoel, 1953); near Worcester (Pringle et al., 1994). Swaziland – Throughout (Swanepoel, 1953); Mlawula Nature Reserve (www.sntc.org.sz); Malolotja Nature Reserve (www.sntc.org.sz). Madagascar – Kitobolo (Strand, 1912). Mauritius – First taken here by E.C.G. Pinhey in May 1976 at Case Noyale, Relais de la mi Voie, and Riviere du Rempart. Since caught at Moka and Black River Gorges (P.M.H. & J.P.L. Davis); Chamerel (Lawrence, 2016). Habitat: A very wide range of habitats, including open forest, savanna, grassland, fynbos, and karoo but excluding primary forest and desert. In Tanzania at altitudes from sea-level to 2 200 m (Kielland, 1990d). Habits: Males defend territories from perches, on hilltops and on the flats (Pringle et al., 1994). Larsen (2005a) noted that, in Nigeria, they only began hilltopping after 14:30. The flight is very fast (Pringle et al., 1994). Both sexes feed from flowers, such as those of Tridax (Larsen, 2005a). Numbers of specimens may be seen feeding from the flowers of Acacia and Maerua species (Larsen, 1991c). Males occasionally mud-puddle (Larsen, 2005a). Flight period: All year (Pringle et al., 1994). Early stages: Jackson, 1937: 211 [Mount Elgon, Kenya]. “The larva feeds in the seed pods on the immature seed of Acacia stenocarpa Hochst., Mimosaceae; also in pods of Dolichos lablab (Linn.), Papilionaceae. Egg. The eggs are a beautiful clear pale green, circular at the base, about 0.5 mm. in diameter, evenly domed and with a small dark central spot. They are laid near the junction of the seed pods and their stalks, either singly or in pairs. Larva. The larva is chocolate brown with longitudinal rows of black warts carrying indigo blue hair, one row along the dorsum and two along each lateral. The collar is larger than usual, since both the first and second segments are broadened and hood-like and spotted with indigo and yellow. The shape is grub-like, broad and rounded dorsally, the head small and black. The anal segments are flattened and hairy; they possess two minute white tubercles placed close together with the gland centrally above them. Length, 20 mm. Pupa. The pupa is placed among the bark, in cracks or under loose pieces, and fastened by a silk sling. It is dark brown with black dorsal line and wing-cases, of nearly even width throughout, broader than usual, with more prominent head-case and a slight “waist” midway. Length, 10 mm. Locality. Mt. Elgon, 18 miles S.W. of Kitale, 6-700 feet, April, 1933.” Clark & Dickson, 1971: 122, plate 57 [as Deudorix antalus antalus; Eastern Cape]. “Egg: 0.8 mm diam. x 0.5 mm high. Generally laid singly on a pod, though two or three eggs may be found on the same pod or its stalk. Pale bluish-green with irregular white ribbing. Eggs hatch after 11-12 days. Larva: 1st instar 1.5 mm, growing to 3 mm in 6 days; 2nd instar growing to 5.5 mm in 3-4 days; 3rd instar growing to 10 mm in 3-4 days; 4th instar growing to 19 mm in 8-13 days. Growth and size vary according to the state of the fruits or pods. The whole of the larval state is spent within the fruit or pod, in which the larva feeds on the interior substance or the beans.