Anthene minima

Little hairtail
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Anthene
Species:	A. minima
Binomial name
Anthene minima (Trimen, 1893) [1]
Synonyms
Lycaenesthes minimaTrimen, 1893

Anthene minima, the little hairtail, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa and Botswana. In South Africa, it is found in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo.

Description

The wingspan is 18–22 mm (0.71–0.87 in) for males and 19–23 mm (0.75–0.91 in) for females. Adults are on wing from September to April. ^[2]

Its nearest relative, Anthene lindae, is found approximately 400 km (250 mi) to the west, endemic to the Northern Cape, with a few occurrences at Witsand in the Western Cape. ^[3]

Habitat and behavior

The larvae likely feed on Acacia species.^{[ citation needed ]}

References

1. Anthene at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
2. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN   978-1-86872-724-7.
3. Pringle, E.L.L.; Henning, G.A.; Ball, J.B. (1994). Pennington's butterflies of southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik Winchester. ISBN   9780947430467. OCLC   32270879.