Paralethe

Paralethe is a monotypic butterfly genus in the family Nymphalidae. Its one species - Paralethe dendrophilus - the "bush beauty" or "forest pride" is found in South Africa.^[1]

Paralethe
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Subfamily:	Satyrinae
Tribe:	Dirini
Genus:	Paralethe van Son, 1955
Species:	P. dendrophilus
Binomial name
Paralethe dendrophilus (Trimen, 1862)
Synonyms
Satyrus dendrophilus Trimen, 1862 Paralethe dendrophilus albina f. alticola van Son, 1955 Debis indosa Trimen, 1879 Lethe dendrophilus var. albomaculatus Staudinger, 1887 Meneris dendrophilus junodi van Son, 1935

The wingspan is 45–60 mm for males and 48–70 mm for females. Adults are on wing from late December to May. There is one generation per year.^[2]

The larvae feed on various Poaceae species, including Ehrharta erecta and Panicum deustrum.

Subspecies

• Paralethe dendrophilus dendrophilus (eastern Cape)
• Paralethe dendrophilus albina van Son, 1955 (eastern Cape (Pondoland), Natal)
• Paralethe dendrophilus indosa (Trimen, 1879) (coast of KwaZulu-Natal and Zululand)
• Paralethe dendrophilus junodi (van Son, 1935) (Transvaal)