Swainson, 1830 subtribe iolaina riley, 1958 Iolaus pallene. Photo courtesy Jeremy Dobson

The larva feeds on the leaves of Ximenia americana Linn. (Olacaceae). Egg. Greyish-white. It is circular and domed, not flattened above, but with a small black central spot. The texture of the shell is like velvet. It is laid on the upperside of the leaves. Diameter 0.75 mm. Larva. Until nearly fully grown the larva is green with red spots on the knife-like dorsal ridge. Later, however, when nearing pupation, the extremities are dull brownish-green to black, and the whole central portion chalky white. The skin is polished and semi-translucent, but deeply pitted and uneven, with the segment divisions deeply incised. Carapace broad and well developed with scalloped edges. The dorsal ridge rises abruptly from the head, curving over in a series of roughly pointed processes to the flattened anal sgments. Both the collar and anal extremity are bifurcate, the former bluntly, the latter very sharply so, with the central portion of the former depressed and carrying a rounded highly polished central spot. The lateral margins have two very broad wing-like processes between segments 4 and 5, and slope away evenly from these in both directions. There appear to be neither tubercles nor gland, and no ants were in attendance. Length 20 mm. Pupa. The pupa is very strangely formed. The colour dirty grey to brownish white with darker markings and four black streaks, resembling ‘eye-spots’, especially the anterior pair, placed just below the central dorsal ridge on either side. Starting at the posterior extremity, there is firstly a very long narrow stalk, fully 5 mm long, more or less flattened above, becoming gradually broader until it meets the wing-cases; here dorsally, above the centre of the wing-cases, is a large double hook-like process raised about 2 mm above the general level, the anterior of the pair being larger and higher. Following on this is a deeply curved depression, and finally the broadly humped thorax, sloping abruptly to the head-case. Ventrally the wing-cases stretch over the whole length except for the stalk. The pupa stands out at an angle from the stem of the food-plant with no support except for the extremity of the stalk, and is jointed at the junction of this with the main body. Length 15 mm, breadth 5mm.

“The larva feeds on the young leaves of the food-plant. Egg. Unknown. Larva. Green; a dorsal fine dark brown line not reaching anal segments; a lateral row of minute black dots just above edge of carapace. A dorsal ridge, knife-edged, rising evenly to a point just above collar where it is cut off abruptly, forming a roughly flattened area protecting the head. Head never visible, even when feeding. Legs not visible, being protected by a heavy close-fitting carapace on all sides. The dorsal line divides on the flattened frontal part to form a circular mark, uniting again along the collar. Anal segments flattened, and posteriorly sharply bifurcate. In its later stages this larva bears a superficial resemblance to Aphniolaus [Iolaus] pallene Wallengren, since both change to greyish-white and black before pupating. Both feed on the same plant. Pupa. Dark brown to black, resembling Ximenia bark. It is attached by the anal appendages flat on the bark. The pupa tapers posteriorly to a short broad stalk; it bears two dorsal blunt hook-like processes. Length 13 mm, width 7 mm.

Suspected to be Loranthus sp. (sensu lato) (Loranthaceae) [Larsen, 2005a; northern Nigeria].

Early Stages unrecorded (but referred to in a comparison made with Iolaus bowkeri by Clark & Dickson, 1971: 144) - "The early stages have given no indication of S. bowkeri bowkeri (Trimen) (from the eastern Cape) and S. bowkeri subinfuscata Grünberg (from Little Namaqualand) being other than conspecific. The latter is, nevertheless, a well defined race and where it has been found by us, in Little Namaqualand, always breeds true to type."

Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Afrique Noire (A) 21: 319 (227-325).

Type-species: Iolaus catori Bethune-Baker, by original designation.

A purely Afrotropical genus containing three species. Treated as a subgenus of Iolaus for a number of years but raised to genus level by Collins et al., 2003. They differ from Iolaus in that the larvae do not utilize Loranthaceae or Olecaceae, the genitalia are very specialized and the scales on the upperside of the wings are highly reflective.