Mooi River is a small town situated at 1,389 m above sea level and 160 km from the coast in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The first European settlement in the area was at Mooi River Drift in 1852. This was formally named Weston in 1866 after the first Governor of Natal, Martin West.
Aloeides merces, the Wakkerstroom copper, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is known from sour montane grassveld in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
Aslauga australis, the southern purple, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is known from only twenty locations consisting of savannah and coastal forest in the East Cape. It has also been recorded from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal.
Capys penningtoni, the Pennington's protea, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is restricted to the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg foothills.
Chrysoritis oreas, the Drakensberg copper or Drakensberg daisy copper, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in montane grassland in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg foothills.
The Tsomo River copper or Tsomo River opal is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found from the northern Eastern Cape to southern KwaZulu-Natal.
Chrysoritis orientalis, the eastern opal, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found on the southern Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal.
Trida barberae, or Barber's ranger, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in southern Africa, from the Cape Province to Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Transvaal, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.
Dingana dingana, or Dingaan's widow, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the KwaZulu-Natal midfields from the Drakensberg foothills to the Mooi River.
Metisella syrinx, the bamboo sylph or bamboes-walsertjie, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is a rare and highly localised species which is only known from South Africa in the eastern Cape, through southern Lesotho to the extreme south of KwaZulu-Natal. The habitat consists of rocky areas on the summits of mountains, in montane grassland.
Nervia nerva, the scarce ranger or scarce skipper, is a species of butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Angola and north-western Zambia.
Nervia chaca, commonly known as Shaka's ranger or Shaka's skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in South Africa, from the southern and eastern slopes of the Drakensberg foothills in the eastern Cape through the Kokstad area into KwaZulu-Natal.
Dotta callicles, the pale ranger, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in South Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Leptomyrina hirundo, the tailed black-eye, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found from South Africa to the coast of eastern Kenya and Malawi. In South Africa it is found in warm wooded savannah from the Eastern Cape to coastal KwaZulu-Natal and inland in riverine forest to Swaziland, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
Aloeides susanae, commonly known as the Susan's copper, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is found from the KwaZulu-Natal midlands to the Free State and the Eastern Cape.
Chrysoritis aethon, the Lydenburg opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is known from northern KwaZulu-Natal to Mpumalanga, along the Drakensberg escarpment to Mariepskop in Limpopo.
Chrysoritis natalensis, the Natal opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is found from the Eastern Cape, along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal and inland to Zululand and the midlands.
Chrysoritis phosphor, the scarce scarlet or golden flash, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. The species was first described by Roland Trimen in 1866. It is found in South Africa.
Lepidochrysops ignota, the Zulu blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, from the KwaZulu-Natal midlands to Eswatini, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng.
Diospyros lycioides, commonly called the bushveld bluebush, is a species of African Diospyros, trees and shrubs in the family Ebenaceae. It is native to central and southern Africa, except the winter-rainfall area. It grows in Australia and is known as a weed there. Many parts of the plant are used: the wood, the roots and stems for toothbrushes, the fruits for alcoholic drinks, and the roots and bark in traditional medicine.
