Bug FAQClouded Flat
Tagiades flesus · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Hesperiidae
Also called: African Clouded Flat
The clouded flat is a medium-sized skipper butterfly with brown upper wings and translucent spots near the forewing tips, and a white underside on the hindwings marked by a semicircle of irregular black spots. It lives in forest areas across much of the Afrotropical realm, from South Africa’s Eastern Cape through Eswatini to Zimbabwe’s border and also in West Africa, and adults feed on flowers such as Deinbollia oblongifolia and Tabernaemontana ventricosa.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The upper wing surface is brownish with translucent spots near the forewing apex.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Males have a wingspan of about 35 to 47 mm, while females are larger at 43 to 49 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in forest habitats.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults sip nectar from flowers such as Deinbollia oblongifolia and Tabernaemontana ventricosa.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing throughout the year, with higher numbers in late summer and autumn in warmer areas.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults can be seen year-round, peaking in late summer and autumn where it is warm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range covers much of the Afrotropical region, from South Africa’s Eastern Cape through Eswatini to the Zimbabwe border and into West Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see adult clouded flats?
Adults are active all year, but are most common in late summer and autumn in warmer places.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on Dioscorea species such as D. malifolia and on Grewia species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does this butterfly live?
It inhabits forest areas across much of the Afrotropical realm, from South Africa’s Eastern Cape through Eswatini to Zimbabwe’s border and into West Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hesperiidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagiades_flesus
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.