Tuxentius cretosus


Tuxentius cretosus, the savanna pied Pierrot, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Senegal, the Gambia, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda and Kenya. The habitat consists of dry savanna and Guinea savanna.
It differs from Tuxentius calice gregorii thus:
Marginal band of the forewing above irregular with 1 to 4 distinctly prominent white spots.
Submarginal line of the forewing beneath entirely coherent, not interrupted by the light
veins.
The larval host plant also serves as the nectar source for the adults. Adult males mud-puddle.
The larvae feed on Ziziphus jujuba.

Subspecies

  • Tuxentius cretosus cretosus
  • Tuxentius cretosus lactinatus
  • Tuxentius cretosus nodieri
  • ''Tuxentius cretosus usemia''