''Coeliades forestan'', the striped policeman, is a butterfly of the family

Hesperiidae Skippers are a family of the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) named the Hesperiidae. Being diurnal, they are generally called butterflies. They were previously placed in a separate superfamily, Hesperioidea; however, the most recent taxonomy ...

. It is found from Transkei to Zimbabwe and to Botswana. It is also present on Madagascar and Mauritius. The wingspan is 45–55 mm for males and 55–64 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round in warmer areas with peaks September to April. The larvae feed on a wide range of plants, including ''

Parinari curatellifolia ''Parinari curatellifolia'' ( bm, Tutu; yo, Ìdòfún) is an evergreen tropical tree of Africa, found in various kinds of deciduous woodland most frequently in poorly drained areas and inland at moderate altitudes. It is also known as mmupudu (b ...

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Lonchocarpus capassa ''Philenoptera violacea'' known also as apple leaf or rain tree, af, Appelblaar, st, Mphata, ts, Mohata, zu, Isihomohomo, IsiNdebele: Ichithamuzi, Idungamuzi, Iphanda) is a plant species in the legume family ( Fabaceae). Habitat It is foun ...

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Combretum bracteosum ''Combretum'', the bushwillows or combretums, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 272 species of trees and shrubs, most of which are native to tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar, but ther ...

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Combretum apiculatum ''Combretum apiculatum'' is a species of tree in the family Combretaceae known by the common name red bushwillow. It is native to the mesic to semi-arid savanna regions of Africa, southwards of the equator. Description This is a semi-deciduous ...

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Solanum auriculatum ''Solanum mauritianum'' is a small tree or shrub native to South America, including Northern Argentina, Southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Its common names include earleaf nightshade (or "ear-leaved nightshade"), woolly nightshade, flannel w ...

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Solanum mauritianum ''Solanum mauritianum'' is a small tree or shrub native to South America, including Northern Argentina, Southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Its common names include earleaf nightshade (or "ear-leaved nightshade"), woolly nightshade, flannel we ...

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Millettia sutherlandii ''Millettia'' is a genus of legume in the family Fabaceae. It consists of about 150 species, which are distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The genus was formerly known by the name ''Pongamia'', but that name was reje ...

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Sphedamnocarpus rhamni ''Sphedamnocarpus'' is a plant genus in the Malpighiaceae, consisting of some 10 to 18 species. They are native to Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, and may be subshrubs, shrubs or climbers. Their mostly yellow flowers have 5 sepals and 5 petals ...

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Sphedamnocarpus pruriens ''Sphedamnocarpus'' is a plant genus in the Malpighiaceae, consisting of some 10 to 18 species. They are native to Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, and may be subshrubs, shrubs or climbers. Their mostly yellow flowers have 5 sepals and 5 petals ...

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Robinia pseudacacia ''Robinia pseudoacacia'', commonly known in its native territory as black locust, is a medium-sized hardwood deciduous tree, belonging to the tribe Robinieae of the legume family Fabaceae. It is endemic to a few small areas of the United States ...

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Subspecies

*''Coeliades forestan forestan'' (Sub-Saharan Africa) *''Coeliades forestan arbogastes'' (Guenee, 1863) (Madagascar & Mauritius)

Stamps

The Republic of Chad has issued a stamp showing a ''Coeliades forestan'' in 2003.Stamps on wnsstamps.ch
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References

* * Butterflies described in 1782 Coeliadinae Butterflies of Africa Lepidoptera of Cape Verde Taxa named by Caspar Stoll {{Hesperiidae-stub