| Silvery bar | |
|---|---|
| |
| Seitz Fauna AfricanaTaf 69 (line d, e) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Cigaritis |
| Species: | C. phanes |
| Binomial name | |
| Cigaritis phanes (Trimen, 1873) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Cigaritis phanes, the silvery bar, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in south-west Africa, including Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. In South Africa it is found from north-western KwaZulu-Natal to the northern part of the Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and Northern Cape.
Description
The wingspan is 24–27 mm for males and 26–30 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round with peaks from September to November and from March to June.
C. phanes species exhibit notable variations in coloration, compared to specimens from other regions in South Africa.
Habitat and behavior
The larvae feed on Acacia mellifera and Ximenia afra. They are associated with the ant species Crematogaster castanea.
References
- Cigaritis at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
- Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. p. 184. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7. OCLC 958561486.
- Krüger, M. (2000). "A review of the afrotropical Cabera subalba group, with description of the first Southern African species (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae)". Metamorphosis. 11 (3): 111–121. ISSN 2307-5031 – via Lepsoc.
External links
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Aphnaeus phanes | |
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