Oraidium barberae

Oraidium barberae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Oraidium
Species: O. barberae
Binomial name
Oraidium barberae
(Trimen, 1868)[1]
Synonyms
  • Lycaena barberae Trimen, 1868
  • Brephidium barberae

The Dwarf Blue (Oraidium barberae) is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in South Africa and Zimbabwe. In South Africa it is found from the West Cape, north to Namaqualand, the North Cape and east to the East Cape and the Orange Free State as well as northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The wingspan is 10–15 mm for males and 12–18 mm for females, the smallest of all known butterflies. Adults are on wing continuously depending on the rainfall, with peaks usually occurring from September to November and from February to April.[2]

The larvae probably feed on Exomis axyrioides.

References

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