Aloeides damarensis

Aloeides damarensis, the Damara copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is found from coastal KwaZulu-Natal to the Drakensberg, north into Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces.

Damara copper
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Aloeides
Species:
A. damarensis
Binomial name
Aloeides damarensis
(Trimen, 1891)[1]
Synonyms
  • Zeritis damarensis Trimen, 1891

The wingspan is 25–32 mm for males and 28–36 mm for females. Adults are on wing from September to April in the southern part of the range and year-round in the north.[2]

The larvae feed on Aspalathus species.

Subspecies

Dorsal and ventral side of wings
  • Aloeides damarensis damarensis (Western, Northern and Eastern Cape and south-western Free State)
  • Aloeides damarensis mashona Tite & Dickson, 1973 (from northern KwaZulu-Natal to Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Limpopo and North West provinces)

References

  1. Aloeides at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.


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