Anthene definita
Encyclopedia
The Common Ciliate Blue or Common Hairtail (Anthene definita) is a butterfly
of the Lycaenidae
family. It is found in southern Africa
.
The wingspan
is 21-27 mm for males and 24-29 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round in wamer areas, with a peak in summer.
The larvae feed on Allophylus africanus, Pappea capensis, Mangifera indica
, Myrica aethiopica, Myrica sericea, Acacia karroo
, Acacia cyanophylla, Acacia saligna
, Paraserianthus lophanta, Schotia
, Bersama
and Kalanchoe
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 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 21-27 mm for males and 24-29 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round in wamer areas, with a peak in summer.
The larvae feed on Allophylus africanus, Pappea capensis, Mangifera indica
Mangifera indica
Mangifera indica is a species of mango in the Anacardiaceae family. It is found in the wild in India and cultivated varieties have been introduced to other warm regions of the world...
, Myrica aethiopica, Myrica sericea, Acacia karroo
Acacia karroo
Acacia karroo also known as the Sweet Thorn, is a species of Acacia, native to southern Africa from southern Angola east to Mozambique, and south to South Africa....
, Acacia cyanophylla, Acacia saligna
Acacia saligna
Acacia saligna, commonly known by various names including coojong, golden wreath wattle, orange wattle, blue-leafed wattle, Western Australian golden wattle, and, in Africa, Port Jackson willow, is a small tree in the family Fabaceae...
, Paraserianthus lophanta, Schotia
Schotia
Schotia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the sub family Caesalpinioideae. It occurs in southern Africa. The genus was named for Richard van der Schot by Jacquin who was the director of the Imperial Gardens at Schönbrunn Palace, Viena...
, Bersama
Bersama
Bersama is a genus of small trees in family Melianthaceae. The genus is distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, and contains only two species:* Bersama abyssinica, Fresen.* Bersama swynnertonii, Baker f....
and Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe , also written Kalanchöe or Kalanchoë, is a genus of about 125 species of tropical, succulent flowering plants in the Family Crassulaceae, mainly native to the Old World but with a few species now growing wild in the New World following introduction of the species.Most are shrubs or...
species.
Subspecies
- Anthene definita definita (from South Africa to East Africa, Uganda, south-eastern Guinea (Nimba Mountains))
- Anthene definita nigrocaudata (Pagenstecher, 1902) (Ethiopia)