Alaena margaritacea
Alaena margaritacea, the Wolkberg Zulu, is a species of Zulu butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.[2] It is endemic to South Africa, where it is only known from grassy slopes adjoining Afromontane forest in the Haenertsburg area of Limpopo near the Wolkberg mountain range.
| Wolkberg Zulu | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | A. margaritacea |
| Binomial name | |
| Alaena margaritacea Eltringham, 1929 | |
It is under severe threat from alien tree plantations as only two colonies are known to exist.
The wingspan is 24–27 mm for males and 28–30 mm for females. Adults are on wing from late December to early January. There is one generation per year.[2]
The larvae feed on species of cyanobacteria. Intriguing female behaviour has been observed recently, possibly related to attracting mates or keeping ants away from a food source.
References
- Gimenez Dixon, M. (1996). "Alaena margaritacea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T772A13077043. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T772A13077043.en.
- Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.