Cigaritis natalensis

Cigaritis natalensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Cigaritis
Species: C. natalensis
Binomial name
Cigaritis natalensis
(Westwood, 1851)[1]
Synonyms
  • Aphnaeus natalensis Westwood, 1851
  • Amblypodia natalensis Westwood, 1852
  • Spindasis masilikazi Wallengren, 1857
  • Spindasis natalensis
  • Spindasis natalensis ab. obscura Aurivillius, 1923

The Natal Bar or Natal Barred Blue (Cigaritis natalensis) is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in South Africa, from the East Cape along the coast to KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, the Orange Free State, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, the Limpopo Province, the North West Province and part of the North Cape. It is also present in Botswana.

The wingspan is 25-32.5 mm for males and 26.5–34 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round with peaks from September to October and from March to May.[2]

The larvae feed on Canthium inerme, Clerodendron glabrum and Ximenia caffra.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cigaritis natalensis.
Wikispecies has information related to: Cigaritis natalensis
  1. Cigaritis, Site of Markku Savela
  2. Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.

External links