''Metisella meninx'', the marsh sylph, 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 endemic to the wet vleis (shallow lakes) of highland grassland in northern

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...

Mpumalanga Mpumalanga () is a province of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. It ...

, Gauteng, the northern part of the Free State and the extreme east of the North West Province. It has become extinct in many areas close to Johannesburg due to building developments. The wingspan is 26–28 mm for males and 27–29 mm for females. Adults are on wing from December to March (with a peak from January to February). There is one extended generation per year. Both sexes feed from flowers, those recorded including ''

Scabiosa columbaria ''Scabiosa columbaria'', called the small scabious or dwarf pincushion flower, is a widespread species of flowering plant in the genus ''Scabiosa'', native to Europe, Africa, and western Asia, from Sweden to Angola. In the garden it is a short-li ...

'', ''

Persicaria attenuata ''Persicaria attenuata'' is a species of flowering plant native to Australia and Asia. It typically grows in wet land or streams. References Flora of New South Wales Perennial plants attenuata ''Attenuata'' is a genus of minute sea s ...

'', ''

Veronica anagallis-aquatica ''Veronica anagallis-aquatica'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae known by the common names water speedwell, blue water-speedwell,brook pimpernel, and sessile water-speedwell. It is also listed as ''Veronica catenata''. ...

'' and ''

Conyza podocephala ''Conyza'' (horseweed, butterweed or fleabane) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to tropical and warm temperate regions throughout the world, and also north into cool temperate regions in North America and ...

''. Males occasionally drink from damp spots with decaying vegetation. The larvae feed on

Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

marsh grass species, including ''

Leersia hexandra ''Leersia hexandra'' is a species of grass known by the common names southern cutgrass, clubhead cutgrass, and swamp rice grass.

''.

References

Butterflies described in 1873 Heteropterinae Butterflies of Africa Taxa named by Roland Trimen {{Hesperiidae-stub