Alenia Evans 1935

COCK, MATTHEW J. W. & CONGDON, T. COLIN E., 2011, Observations on the biology of Afrotropical Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera) principally from Kenya. Part 3. Pyrginae: Celaenorrhinini, Zootaxa 3033 (1), pp. 1-67 : 63

Alenia Evans 1935

Evans (in Carpenter 1935) established Alenia for a single species sandaster (Trimen) comparing it with Spialia Swinhoe (Carcharodini) , noting the similarity of the club, palpi and venation. Alenia sandaster is restricted to the Nama Karoo of South Africa. A second species was subsequently described: A. namaqua Vári 1974 , which is restricted to the Succulent Karoo in Little Namaqualand and southern Namibia.

Warren et al. (2009) place the genus in Celaenorrhinini , writing “The placement of Alenia in Celaenorrhinini is noteworthy, as both its species are small, black and white ‘checkered skippers’, superficially resembling species of Pyrgus (Pyrgini) and Spialia (Carcharodini) . ... it co-occurs with various Spialia species. However, similarities in wing facies between Alenia and Spialia are probably the result of convergence ...”

Clark (in Dickson & Kroon 1978, plate 19) provides a detailed illustrated life history of A. sandaster . The ovum is 0.6 mm in diameter, with 12–13 weak ribs and is laid on the buds of the food plants, Blepharis capensis and Barleria sp. (Acanthaceae) . The caterpillars develop inside the buds, flowers and seed pods of the food plants. Pringle et al. (1994) give Barleria sp. as the food plant of A. namaqua . That the food plants of these two species are Acanthaceae provides significant support for Warren et al.’s (2009) placement of this genus in Celaenorrhinini , which mostly feed on Acanthaceae , rather than in Carcharodini , which don’t.