Uranothauma heritsia, the light branded blue, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in south-eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia.[2] The habitat consists of submontane forests and wooded habitats.

Uranothauma heritsia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Uranothauma
Species:
U. heritsia
Binomial name
Uranothauma heritsia
(Hewitson, 1876)[1]
Synonyms
  • Lycaena heritsia Hewitson, 1876
  • Cupido chibonotana Aurivillius, 1910
  • Phlyaria heritsia intermedia Tite, 1958
  • Hyreus virgo Butler, 1896

Adult males mud-puddle.

The larvae feed on the young leaves of Bridelia micrantha.

Subspecies

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  • U. h. heritsia (south-eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, northern Angola, western and central Democratic Republic of the Congo)
  • U. h. chibonotana (Aurivillius, 1910) (northern Tanzania)
  • U. h. intermedia (Tite, 1958) (eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Sudan, Uganda, Kenya: west and the central highlands, western Tanzania)
  • U. h. virgo (Butler, 1896) (southern and eastern Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo: south to Shaba, Malawi, northern Zambia)

References

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  1. ^ Uranothauma at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms
  2. ^ Afrotropical Butterflies: Lycaenidae - Tribe Polyommatini (part 1)