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.
| Cigaritis phanes | |
|---|---|
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| Seitz Fauna AfricanaTaf 69 (line d, e) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Cigaritis |
| Species: | C. phanes
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| Binomial name | |
| Cigaritis phanes | |
| Synonyms | |
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Description
editThe 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.[2]
C. phanes species exhibit notable variations in coloration, compared to specimens from other regions in South Africa.[3]
Habitat and behavior
editThe larvae feed on Acacia mellifera and Ximenia afra. They are associated with the ant species Crematogaster castanea.[citation needed]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cigaritis phanes.
Wikispecies has information related to Cigaritis phanes.
- ^ 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
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