Leona Evans, 1937

Cock, Matthew J. W., Congdon, T. Colin E. & Collins, Steve C., 2015, Observations on the Biology of Afrotropical Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera). Part 8. Hesperiinae incertae sedis: Dracaena Feeders, Zootaxa 3985 (3), pp. 301-348 : 344

Leona Evans, 1937

We have introduced this genus in Cock et al. (2014), where its split from Caenides is discussed. Of the nine species in the genus, a single species, L. lissa Evans , has been reared from Dracaena, and is treated here. However, its male genitalia are so different from those of other larger members of the genus apart from L. luehderi (Plötz) (food plant unknown), that it is probably not congeneric (T.B. Larsen pers. comm. 2014).

The early stages and food plants of relatively few species of the other Leona spp. are known as yet, and the records include palms ( Arecaceae ) and Zingiberaceae . Leona maracanda (Hewitson) has been reared from a rattan palm, Eremospatha sp., in western Zambia ( Cock et al. 2014). Leona halma Evans is recorded from Zingiberaceae ( Kielland 1990, Heath et al. 2002, Vande weghe 2010, Cock et al. 2014). Heath et al. (2002) suggest that the food plant of L. leonora dux Evans is possibly also Zingiberaceae .