Cigaritis phanes

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
Seitz Fauna AfricanaTaf 69 (line d, e)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Cigaritis
Species:
C. phanes
Binomial name
Cigaritis phanes
(Trimen, 1873)[1]
Synonyms
  • Aphnaeus phanes Trimen, 1873
  • Spindasis phanes
  • Aphnaeus erna Staudinger, 1888

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]

The larvae feed on Acacia mellifera and Ximenia caffra. They are associated with the ant species Crematogaster castanea.

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cigaritis phanes.
Wikispecies has information related to Cigaritis phanes.
  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. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.


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