Lepidochrysops ketsi
Encyclopedia
The Ketsi Blue is a butterfly
of the Lycaenidae
family. It is found in South Africa
.
The wingspan
is 32-35 mm for males and 32-33 mm for females. Adults are on wing from October to March, with peaks in November and January. There are two generations per year.
The larvae feed on Selago
species, including Selago corymbosa and Selago geniculata and Salvia
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...
.
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 32-35 mm for males and 32-33 mm for females. Adults are on wing from October to March, with peaks in November and January. There are two generations per year.
The larvae feed on Selago
Selago
Selago is a genus of plant in family Scrophulariaceae. It contains the following species :* Selago lepida, Hilliard* Selago nachtigalii, Rolfe...
species, including Selago corymbosa and Selago geniculata and Salvia
Salvia
Salvia is the largest genus of plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, with approximately 700-900 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. It is one of several genera commonly referred to as sage. When used without modifiers, sage generally refers to Salvia officinalis ; however, it is...
species.
Subspecies
- Lepidochrysops ketsi ketsi (West Cape, along the East Cape mountains to Lesotho, the Orange Free State, the KwaZulu-Natal hills and highveld in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, the Limpopo Province and the North West Province)
- Lepidochrysops ketsi leucomacula Henning & Henning, 1994 (coastal grassland and savannah in the East Cape and KwaZulu-Natal)