Aloeides dryas
Encyclopedia
The Transvaal Copper is a butterfly
of the Lycaenidae
family. It is found in South Africa
, where it is known from Swaziland
to northern KwaZulu-Natal
and Mpumalanga
, then along the Drakensberg and Wolkberg to the Limpopo Province.
The wingspan
is 26-31 mm for males and 28-34 mm females. There are several generations in the warmer months, with adults on wing from September to as late as June with peaks in November and February.
The larvae feed on Lotononis
species.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Lycaenidae
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
family. It is found in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where it is known from Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
to northern KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
and Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga , is a province of South Africa. The name means east or literally "the place where the sun rises" in Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, north of KwaZulu-Natal and bordering Swaziland and Mozambique. It constitutes 6.5% of South Africa's land area...
, then along the Drakensberg and Wolkberg to the Limpopo Province.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 26-31 mm for males and 28-34 mm females. There are several generations in the warmer months, with adults on wing from September to as late as June with peaks in November and February.
The larvae feed on Lotononis
Lotononis
Lotononis is a genus of legume in the Fabaceae family and in the Crotalarieae tribe. This is a partial list of species that belong to the genus:* Lotononis adpressa N. E. Br.* Lotononis angolensis Welw. ex Baker...
species.