Blue-eyed Pierrot
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Subfamily:	Polyommatinae
Tribe:	Polyommatini
Genus:	Zintha Eliot, 1973
Species:	Z. hintza
Binomial name
Zintha hintza (Trimen, 1864)
Synonyms
Castalius hintza (Trimen, 1864) Lycaena hintza Trimen, 1864 Castalius hintza krooni Dickson, 1973 Castalius resplendens Butler, 1876

Zintha is a butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae. It is monotypic, with the only species being Zintha hintza, the blue-eyed Pierrot, blue pied Pierrot or Hintza blue. The pied Pierrots proper are the closely related genus Tuxentius, however, and like Zintha they were formerly included in Castalius.^[1]

Description

The wingspan is 24–28 mm for males and 24–27 mm for females. Adults are on wing from September to April.^[2]

Food plants

The larvae feed on Ziziphus species, including Z. zeyheriana and Z. mucronata.

Distribution and subspecies

This butterfly occurs in tropical eastern and southern Africa. Three subspecies are recognized:^[3]

• Zintha hintza hintza (Trimen, 1864) – South Africa to Kenya, possibly Zaire
• Zintha hintza krooni (Dickson, 1973) – Namibia and adjacent regions
• Zintha hintza resplendens (Butler, 1876) – Ethiopia and adjacent regions

Gallery

• 
  Female imago
• 
  Wing undersides
• 
  A group mud-puddling

Footnotes

References

• Brower, Andrew V.Z. (2008): Tree of Life Web Project – Zintha hintza (Trimen 1864). The Blue-eyed Pierrot. Version of 2008-MAY-19. Retrieved 2009-NOV-29.
• Savela, Markku (2009): Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms – Zintha. Version of 2007-MAY-20. Retrieved 2009-NOV-29.
• Seitz, A. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 73 b

External links

• Data related to Zintha at Wikispecies

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zintha hintza.