| Giant copper | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Aloeides |
| Species: | A. pallida |
| Binomial name | |
| Aloeides pallida Tite & Dickson, 1968 [2] | |
| Synonyms | |
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Aloeides pallida, the giant copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa
The wingspan is 30–39 mm for males and 34–45 mm females. Adults are on wing from October to early January or as early as August for the nominate subspecies. There is one generation per year. [3]
The butterflies of this group inhabit grassy areas with bare patches, such as grassy fynbos in the western and eastern cape, or highvield grasslands in other provinces. [4]
Aloeidis males exhibit territorial behavior, claiming specific areas on road verges and unsurfaced roads where they can counter females and mate. [5]
The species is holometabolous. Oviposition takes place in favorable weather conditions around mid December. The eggs are relatively large for a lycaenid butterfly, and are spherical in shape and pale in color. [5]
The species follows a mutualistic relationship with the ant species Lepisiota capensis, as the female only oviposits its eggs at the entrance of the nest of its colony. [5] These ants are found nesting in the soil at the base of grass Eragrostis curvula.
After a duration of 15 days, the eggs hatch and newly emerged larvae are highly active, which enables them to crawl inside the ants' nest. [5] They are nearly 2mm long and are colored to camouflage them on the soil featuring epidermal setae in the first instar. The myrmecophily among ants and larvae allows further developmental progress, as they fail to survive beyond the first or second instar without the presence of ants. [6] Until pupal stage, the larve are aphytophagous and only consume eggs of the ants. This association is obligate dependence.
Unlike other species of Aloeides genus, these butterflies do not have a preference for host Aspalathus plants. [6]
Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies, with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfly species.
The Aphnaeinae are a subfamily of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.
Aloeides, commonly called coppers, is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. Most can be found in South Africa, but a few species occur as far north as Kenya.
Aloeides carolynnae, Carolynn's copper, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa.
Aloeides dentatis, the Roodepoort copper, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Lesotho and South Africa.
Chrysoritis pan, the Pan opal, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in the Western Cape, the Northern Cape and the Eastern Cape.
Chrysoritis swanepoeli, the Swanepoel's opal, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in the Swartberg Pass and Schoemanskloof, the Groot Swartberg, the Huis River Pass and Gamkaskloof in the Western Cape.
Thestor brachycerus, the Knysna skolly, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa.
Erikssonia edgei, commonly known as the Waterberg copper, tilodi copper or Edge's acraea copper, is an obligate myrmecophylous lycaenid butterfly, which is native to Limpopo, South Africa. The critically endangered butterfly occurs in high-altitude grasslands on sandy substrates, and has only been obtained from the type and one subsequent locality. The population at the type locality, a farm in the Waterberg, went extinct about 12 years after its 1980 discovery. It was afforded species status in 2010, when no extant populations were known. The status of two populations, discovered in 2013 at a private nature reserve to the southeast, remains indeterminate.
Trimenia malagrida is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is found from Beaufort West to the Roggeveld escarpment in the Western Cape.
Aloeides rileyi, commonly known as Riley's copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is known from Lesotho and the eastern part of the Free State.
Aloeides apicalis, the pointed copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is known from Western Cape and the Northern Cape.
Aloeides depicta, the depicta copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is known from fynbos and Nama Karoo along the mountains from Matjiesfontein to Gydo Mountain and the Eastern Cape.
Aloeides pierus, the dull copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is found in the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape, as well as the Free State.
Aloeides trimeni, the Trimen's copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is found from coastal KwaZulu-Natal to the Drakensberg, north into Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
Aloeides damarensis, the Damara copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is found from coastal KwaZulu-Natal to the Drakensberg, north into Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces.
Aloeides molomo, the molomo copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southern Africa.
Aloeides taikosama, the dusky copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. In South Africa it is found from the eastern Western Cape to the Eastern Cape, the Free State, northern KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and the eastern Northern Cape.
Chrysoritis thysbe, the opal copper or common opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa.
Crematogaster peringueyi is a southern African arboreal species of ant. They are commonly known as the black cocktail ant or swartwipgatmier (Afrikaans) for their colour and habit of arching their abdomens when alarmed.
