| Lepidochrysops tantalus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Lepidochrysops |
| Species: | L. tantalus |
| Binomial name | |
| Lepidochrysops tantalus | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Lepidochrysops tantalus, the king blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae found in South Africa.
It is local to the Drakensberg foothills in the Eastern Cape to the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, Eswatini, then along the escarpment hills to Mpumalanga and Gauteng. It is also found in Limpopo.
The wingspan is 30–38 mm for males and 34–40 mm for females. Adults are on wing from September to November. There is one generation per year. [2]
Despite sharing a common habitat with L. lotana, it can be differentiated by being darker and smaller. It also shows an erratic and unstable flight pattern compared to L.lotana. [3]
The larvae are associated with Becium grandiflorum . [3]
Lepidochrysops badhami, the Badham's blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in Succulent Karoo to the east of Springbok in the Northern Cape.
Lepidochrysops loewensteini, the Loewenstein's blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa and Lesotho. It is mainly found in Lesotho and on the high slopes above Dulcie's Nek in the Eastern Cape.
Lepidochrysops lotana, the Lotana blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa.
Lepidochrysops oosthuizeni, Oosthuizen's blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Lesotho and South Africa, where it is found on high altitude grassland and Nama Karoo on the Witteberg in the East Cape and the Maluti Mountains in Lesotho and the eastern Orange Free State.
Lepidochrysops quickelbergei, the Quickelberge's blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in fynbos on the northern slopes of the Gydo Mountain and the Waboomsberg in the Western Cape.
Lepidochrysops titei, the Tite's blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in the Western Cape.
Lepidochrysops wykehami, the Wykeham's blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in the hills of the Kamieskroon area in Northern Cape.
Lepidochrysops methymna, the monkey blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa.
Lepidochrysops variabilis, the variable blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, from the Cape Peninsula, inland along the western mountains to southern Namaqualand, along the eastern Drakensberg to the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, Lesotho, Mpumalanga, the southern Limpopo, then west to the central Limpopo, North West and the hills of Gauteng. It is also found in eastern Zimbabwe.
Lepidochrysops ketsi, the ketsi blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa.
Lepidochrysops puncticilia, the mouse blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is found in the Western Cape.
Lepidochrysops southeyae, the Southey's blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is found in Nama Karoo in the East Cape.
Lepidochrysops mcgregori, the McGregor's blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is found in Succulent Karoo of the Northern Cape.
Lepidochrysops jamesi, the James's blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa.
Lepidochrysops lerothodi, the Lesotho blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found mainly found in Lesotho. In South Africa it is only found on high mountain peaks in the Golden Gate Highlands in Limpopo province, the Free State and the Eastern Cape.
Lepidochrysops grahami, Graham's blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it is known from the north-eastern Eastern Cape.
Lepidochrysops swartbergensis, the Swartberg blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it found in fynbos on the Swartberg range from the Eastern Cape to Seweweekspoort and Klein Swartberg in the Western Cape. It is also found on the Rooiberg.
Lepidochrysops oreas, the peninsula blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it found in fynbos on the Swartberg range from the Eastern Cape to Seweweekspoort and Klein Swartberg in the Western Cape. It is also found on the Rooiberg.
Lepidochrysops braueri, the Brauer's blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, where it found in fynbos on the Swartberg range from the Eastern Cape to Seweweekspoort and Klein Swartberg in the Western Cape. It is also found on the Rooiberg.
The Wolkberg is a mountain range in Tzaneen, Limpopo Province, South Africa. It is a northern termination and a subrange of the Drakensberg mountain range which lines up from Eastern Cape, Lesotho, Kwazulu Natal and Mpumalanga. At 2200 m (7200 ft) above sea level, it is the highest mountain range in Limpopo, together with the Iron crown mountain. Its Meteorological significance is that it brings along cold fronts and is a source of cold winters throughout the Limpopo province, the cold front gets transferred from greater Drakensberg mountains in Kwazulu Natal all the way to the Wolkberg. Without the Wolkberg, Limpopo will not experience cold winters at all. The range extends for about 30 km (19 mi) in a NW/SE direction north of Sekhukhuneland. The nearest towns are Haenertsburg and Tzaneen.
