Alaena margaritacea: taxon details and analytics
- Domain
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Lycaenidae
- Genus
- Alaena
- Species
- Alaena margaritacea
- Scientific Name
- Alaena margaritacea
Summary description from Wikipedia:
Alaena margaritacea
Alaena margaritacea, the Wolkberg Zulu, is a species of Zulu butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is only known from grassy slopes adjoining Afromontane forest in the Haenertsburg area of Limpopo near the Wolkberg mountain range.
It is under severe threat from alien tree plantations as only two colonies are known to exist.
The wingspan is 24–27 mm for males and 28–30 mm for females. Adults are on wing from late December to early January. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on species of cyanobacteria. Intriguing female behaviour has been observed recently, possibly related to attracting mates or keeping ants away from a food source.
...Alaena margaritacea in languages:
- English
- Wolkberg Zulu
Parent Taxon
Sibling Taxa
- Alaena amazoula
- Alaena bicolora
- Alaena bjornstadi
- Alaena brainei
- Alaena caissa
- Alaena dodomaensis
- Alaena exotica
- Alaena ferrulineata
- Alaena interposita
- Alaena johanna
- Alaena kiellandi
- Alaena lamborni
- Alaena maculata
- Alaena madibirensis
- Alaena margaritacea
- Alaena nyassa
- Alaena oberthuri
- Alaena picata
- Alaena tsavoa
- Alaena unimaculosa
