Ypthima asterope

Ypthima asterope, the African ringlet or common three-ring,^[1][2] is a species of Satyrinae butterfly found in most dry areas of Africa and Asia.^[1][2]

African ringlet
Dorsal view of nominate race in Turkey
Y. a. mahratta in southern India
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Ypthima
Species:	Y. asterope
Binomial name
Ypthima asterope (Klug, 1832)[1]
Synonyms
Hipparchia asterope Klug, 1832 Ypthima mahratta Ypthima hereroica Ypthima asterope ab. simpliciocellata Strand, 1909 Ypthima asterope ab. hereroica Grünberg, 1910

The wingspan is 30–34 mm in males and 32–38 mm in females. Adults are on wing year round with peaks in summer and autumn in southern Africa. There is one generation per year.^[3]

The larvae feed on grasses (Poaceae). Larvae have been reared on Ehrharta erecta.

Subspecies

The species may be divided into the following subspecies:

• Ypthima asterope asterope (Arabia, Turkey, northern tropical Africa)
• Ypthima asterope mahratta Moore, 1884 (India)^[4][5]
• Ypthima asterope hereroica van Son, 1955 (southern Africa, Namibia)