Borbo Evans, 1949

Cock, Matthew J. W. & Congdon, Colin E., 2012, Observations on the biology of Afrotropical Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera) principally from Kenya. Part 4. Hesperiinae: Aeromachini and Baorini, Zootaxa 3438, pp. 1-42 : 18

Borbo Evans, 1949

The African members of this genus, as presently understood, were split between the genera Pelopidas and Baoris by Evans (1937a). However, Evans (1949) described the genus Borbo and subsequently ( Evans 1951) clarified the arrangement of African species in this genus. Baoris is now restricted to the Oriental fauna, and the four African species formerly placed in this genus are now placed in Borbo . Two groups can be recognised within Borbo : those with the mid tibia spined ( borbonica (Boisduval) , fallax (Gaede) , sirena Evans , perobscura (Druce) , micans ( Holland) , detecta (Trimen) , chagwa Evans and holtzi (Plötz)) , and those with the mid tibia smooth ( lugens (Hopffer) , kaka (Evans), ferruginea (Aurivillius) , fatuellus (Hopffer) and gemella (Mabille)) . The limited information available on the early stages of these species means that any correlation between these groups and their early stages can only be provisional for now.

All members of the genus for which the life history is known are grass feeders. The indications are that they will feed on a range of soft grasses. This makes the question of what is the basis of any ecological differences between the species more difficult to answer. If similar species will feed on the same grasses in the same habitat, why are they different, and how do they compete?

The position and arrangement of the wax glands of the mature caterpillars seem to be variable, and merits further, systematic investigation. There may be specific differences which could be used to assist in identification of mature caterpillars—or generic or subgeneric differences that would throw light on the higher groups.