Aloeides thyra

Red copper
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Aloeides
Species:	A. thyra
Binomial name
	Aloeides thyra; (Linnaeus, 1764)
Synonyms
	Papilio thyra Linnaeus, 1764; Papilio nycetus Stoll, 1781; Papilio euadrus Fabricius, 1787;

Aloeides thyra, the red copper, is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in the Western Cape, South Africa.

The wingspan is 22–26 mm for males and 24–28 mm females. Adults are on wing from July to April with peaks in October and February. There are several generations per year through the warmer months.^[2]

The larvae feed on Aspalathus acuminata, A. laricifolia and A. cymbiformis. The larvae are attended to by Lepisiota capensis ants.

Subspecies

Aloeides thyra thyra (Cape Peninsula, north-west to Lambert's Bay and east to Matjiesfontein)
Aloeides thyra orientis Pringle, 1994 (Stilbaai to Knysna in the Western Cape)

References

^ Aloeides at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
^ Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.

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[1] Aloeides at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms

[2] Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.

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