About Deudorix diocles Hewitson, 1869
Deudorix diocles, commonly known as the orange-barred playboy, is a butterfly species that belongs to the Lycaenidae family. This butterfly is distributed across Mozambique, the region from Zimbabwe to Zaire, as well as Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa. Within South Africa, it occurs along the eastern coast from the Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal, and extends further north along the foothills of the escarpment to Mpumalanga and Limpopo. Male individuals have a wingspan ranging from 26 to 36 mm, while female individuals have a wingspan ranging from 29 to 41 mm. Adult D. diocles can be seen in flight throughout the year, with population peaks occurring in September and March. The larvae of this butterfly feed on the fruits and seeds of a broad variety of host plants. These host plants include Bauhinia galpinii, multiple Millettia species (M. caffra, M. sutherlandii, and M. grandis), Caesalpinia pulcherrima, multiple Baphia species including B. racemosa, and genera Acacia, Bauhinia, Caesalpinia, Schotia, Macadamia, Prunus, Combretum, and Syzygium.
