Hypolycaena philippus

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Purple-brown hairstreak
Hypolycaena philippus philippus HotMarina 2012-04-29 uns.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Hypolycaena
Species:
H. philippus
Binomial name
Hypolycaena philippus
(Fabricius, 1793) [1]
Synonyms
  • Hesperia philippusFabricius, 1793
  • Cupido ramonzaSaalmüller, 1878
  • Jolaus orejusHopffer, 1855
  • Amblypodia erylusTrimen, 1866
  • Hypolycaena vittigeraMabille, 1879

Hypolycaena philippus, the purple-brown hairstreak or common hairstreak, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa where it is commonly found in wooded locations.

Contents

The wingspan is 22–28 mm for males and 23.5–31 mm for females. Females lack the purple sheen which is present on the upper wings of males, and instead have submarginal white markings on their hind wings. [2] Adults are on wing year round in warmer areas with peaks in November and March or April. [2]

The larvae feed on Clerodendrum glabrum , Ximenia species (including X. caffra and X. americana ), Deinbollia species (including D. oblongifolia ), Vangueria species (including the inside of fruits of V. randii ), Maytenus senegalensis , Allophylus , Loranthus , Punica granatum , other Clerodendrum , Coccinia grandis and Ixora .

Subspecies

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References

  1. Hypolycaena at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. 1 2 Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN   978-1-86872-724-7.