Orachrysops ariadne
Encyclopedia
The Karkloof Blue is a species of butterfly
in the Lycaenidae
family. It is endemic to South Africa
, where it is only known from a few localities in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands.
The wingspan
is 26-40 mm. Adults are on wing from March to April. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Indigofera woodii var. laxa.
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...
in 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 endemic to 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 only known from a few localities in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands.
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 26-40 mm. Adults are on wing from March to April. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Indigofera woodii var. laxa.