Aloeides dryas

Aloeides dryas, the Transvaal copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southern Africa, where it is known from northern KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland and Mpumalanga, and along the Drakensberg to the Wolkberg range in Limpopo province.

Transvaal copper
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Aloeides
Species:
A. dryas
Binomial name
Aloeides dryas
Tite & Dickson, 1968[1]

The wingspan is 26–31 mm for males and 28–34 mm females. There are several generations in the warmer months, with adults on wing from September to as late as June with peaks in November and February.[2]

The larvae feed on Lotononis species, a genus of legumes. They are associated with ants of the genus Lepisiota.

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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