Bug FAQClay Monkey
Phyllalia patens · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Eupterotidae
Adult Clay Monkeys are fawn-coloured with slightly paler hindwings and very broad, short wings. They hide in shallow grottoes under host-plant leaves by day and emerge to feed in the cooler evening.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
All four wings are unusually broad and relatively short.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They build a shallow grotto on the ground beneath host-plant leaves, staying hidden during the heat of the day and coming out to feed in the evening.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on the grasses Cynodon dactylon and Ehrharta calycina.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Larvae have a velvety black dorsal surface, a pale fulvous underside, and a bright red head.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
They are found in Lesotho and the South African provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the larvae look like?
Larvae are black on top, pale fulvous underneath, with a bright red head.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the Clay Monkey found?
It occurs in Lesotho and the South African provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
Source: Wikipedia
When does the adult emerge to feed?
Adults emerge in the cool of the evening after hiding under leaves during the day.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on the grasses Cynodon dactylon and Ehrharta calycina.
Source: Wikipedia
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllalia_patens
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.