Aloeides molomo
Encyclopedia
The Molomo Copper is a butterfly
of the Lycaenidae
family. It is found in southern Africa
.
The wingspan
is 22-33 mm for males and 24-35 mm for females. Adults are on wing from August to December and from March to April. There are two generations per year.
The larvae of ssp. krooni feed on Sida ovata.
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 southern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
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 22-33 mm for males and 24-35 mm for females. Adults are on wing from August to December and from March to April. There are two generations per year.
The larvae of ssp. krooni feed on Sida ovata.
Subspecies
- Aloeides molomo molomo (East Cape, Orange Free State, eastern North Cape, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo Province, North West Province)
- Aloeides molomo mumbuensis Riley, 1921 (Botswana, Zambia)
- Aloeides molomo kiellandi Carcasson, 1961 (south-western Tanzania (Mpanda))
- Aloeides molomo krooni Tite & Dickson, 1973 (northern North Cape to Namibia and Botswana)
- Aloeides molomo coalescens Tite & Dickson, 1973 (Zimbabwe)
- Aloeides molomo handmani Tite & Dickson, 1973