| Anthene | |
|---|---|
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| Anthene and related genera in Adalbert Seitz's Fauna Africana | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Tribe: | Lycaenesthini |
| Genus: | Anthene Doubleday, 1847 |
| Synonyms | |
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Anthene is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae, commonly called the ciliate blues or hairtails. The genus was erected by Edward Doubleday in 1847.
Contents
Anthene are small to medium-sized (wingspan 16–40 millimetres), slender butterflies without tails or with 2–3 short, hairy tails on the hindwing. The upper parts are dark brown, in males often with a blue or blue-violet metallic sheen that is usually not as strong as in many other blues. Other species have orange, or less often, white patches. Females are more uniformly brown. The underparts are light brown, often with white-edged transverse bands, but without or with few dark spots.
The larvae can live on a variety of shrubs and trees, but are often found on the acacia genus ( Acacia ). Some of the species are associated with ants. The ants collect the young larvae and carry them back to the nest, where they are fed and cared for, in return they secrete substances that the ants like.
Distribution Most of the species live in Africa, but there is also a group in Southeast Asia (north to the Himalayas) and Australia.
The genera Neurellipes, Neurypexina, and Triclema are often considered subgenera of Anthene.
