Cigaritis phanes

Cigaritis phanes
	Seitz Fauna AfricanaTaf 69 (line d, e)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Cigaritis
Species:	C. phanes
Binomial name
	Cigaritis phanes; (Trimen, 1873)
Synonyms
	Aphnaeus phanes Trimen, 1873; Spindasis phanes; Aphnaeus erna Staudinger, 1888;

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.

Description

The 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

The larvae feed on Acacia mellifera and Ximenia afra. They are associated with the ant species Crematogaster castanea.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ 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

Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 69 d,e

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[1] Cigaritis 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. p. 184. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7. OCLC 958561486.

[3] 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.

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