Myrina dermaptera
Encyclopedia
The Lesser Fig-tree Blue or Scarce Fig-tree Blue (Myrina dermaptera) is a butterfly
of the Lycaenidae
family. It is found in sub-Sahara
n Africa
, southern Arabia and northern Oman
.
The wingspan
is 26-32 mm for males and 30-38 mm for females. Adults are on year round with strong peaks in November and from April to June.
The larvae feed on Ficus
species, including Ficus sur, Ficus thonningii
and Ficus natalensis
.
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 sub-Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
n 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...
, southern Arabia and northern Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
.
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 26-32 mm for males and 30-38 mm for females. Adults are on year round with strong peaks in November and from April to June.
The larvae feed on Ficus
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
species, including Ficus sur, Ficus thonningii
Ficus thonningii
Ficus thonningii is a species of Ficus. It is native to Africa. Recent phylogenetic analysis suggests several distinct species may be classified as F. thonningii-External links:*.*...
and Ficus natalensis
Ficus natalensis
Ficus natalensis is a tree in the Moraceae family. It is commonly known as the Natal Fig. These trees are distributed from KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa to east Africa.- References :...
.
Subspecies
- Myrina dermaptera dermaptera (East Cape to KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga and Limpopo Province, southern Mozambique)
- Myrina dermaptera nyassae Talbot, 1935 (Zimbabwe, Malawi, eastern Tanzania to Kenya (Nairobi))