Cigaritis natalensis, the Natal bar or Natal barred blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, from the Eastern Cape along the coast to KwaZulu-Natal, Eswatini, the Free State, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Limpopo and North West provinces, and part of the Northern Cape province. It is also present in Botswana.
Natal bar | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Lycaenidae |
Genus: | Cigaritis |
Species: | C. natalensis
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Binomial name | |
Cigaritis natalensis | |
Synonyms | |
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The wingspan is 25–32.5 mm for males and 26.5–34 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round with peaks from September to October and from March to May.[2]
The larvae feed on Canthium inerme, Clerodendrum glabrum and Ximenia afra.
References
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External links
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