Uranothauma nubifer, the black heart or black-heart branded blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found from Ethiopia to South Africa. It is also found in eastern Zaire.

Uranothauma nubifer
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Uranothauma
Species:
U. nubifer
Binomial name
Uranothauma nubifer
(Trimen, 1895)[1]
Synonyms
  • Lycaena nubifer Trimen, 1895
  • Lampides pelotus Karsch, 1895
  • Cupido nubifer var. distinctesignatus Strand, 1911
  • Uranothauma nubifer abyssinica Libert, 1993

The wingspan is 22–26 mm for males and 24–28 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round, with a peak from November to February.[2]

The larvae feed on Acacia species, including A. karroo.

Subspecies

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  • Uranothauma nubifer nubifer (Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya: west, central and the Teita Hills, Burundi, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, northern Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, South Africa: Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal)
  • Uranothauma nubifer distinctesignatus (Strand, 1911) (Ethiopia)

References

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  1. ^ Uranothauma at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. ^ Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.