Myrina dermaptera, the lesser fig-tree blue or scarce fig-tree blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, southern Arabia and northern Oman.
| Myrina dermaptera | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Myrina |
| Species: | M. dermaptera
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| Binomial name | |
| Myrina dermaptera (Wallengren, 1857)[1]
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| Synonyms | |
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Description
editThe wingspan is 26–32 mm for males and 30–38 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round with strong peaks in November and from April to June.[2]
Habitat and behavior
editThe males are highly territorial, and patrol their chosen spots around fig trees. They are noted to perform in an unusual hovering and spiraling aerial display, which seems as a form of threat or dominance.[3]
The larvae feed on Ficus species, including F. sur, F. thonningii and F. natalensis.
Subspecies
edit- Myrina dermaptera dermaptera (Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga and Limpopo, southern Mozambique)
- Myrina dermaptera nyassae Talbot, 1935 (Zimbabwe, Malawi, eastern Tanzania to Kenya (Nairobi))
References
edit- ^ Myrina 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. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
- ^ Woodhall, S. (2009). "Strange behaviour from a Myrina dermaptera dermaptera (Scarce Fig-tree Blue) male". Metamorphosis. 20 (1). The Lepidopterists' Society of Africa: 38–39.
External links
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Wikispecies has information related to Myrina dermaptera.
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