Eicochrysops messapus

Eicochrysops messapus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Eicochrysops
Species:	E. messapus
Binomial name
	Eicochrysops messapus; (Godart, [1824])
Synonyms
	Polyommatus messapus Godart, [1824]; Cupido sapphirina Stoneham, 1938; Lycaena acca Westwood, 1851; Lycaena mahallakoaena Wallengren, 1857; Eicochrysops mahallakoaena; Catochrysops nandiana Bethune-Baker, 1906; Polyommatus sebagadis Guérin-Méneville, 1849; Cupido messapus ab. trisignatus Strand, 1911;

Eicochrysops messapus, the cupreous blue, is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family.^[2] It is found in Africa. In South Africa it is rare and only known from the northern part of the Limpopo province and northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The wingspan is 17–22 mm for males and 17–24 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round in warmer areas, with peaks in October and March. In cooler areas it is not found from April to September^[3]

The larvae probably feed on Thesium species.

Subspecies

E. m. messapus (West Cape to Orange Free State)
E. m. mahallakoaena (Wallengren, 1857) (northern East Cape to KwaZulu-Natal, northern Orange Free State, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, the Limpopo province and the North West province)
E. m. nandiana (Bethune-Baker, 1906) (Kenya, Uganda)
E. m. sebagadis (Guérin-Méneville, 1849) (highlands of Ethiopia)

References

^ Eicochrysops at Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera
^ http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Eicochrysops_messapus/classification/
^ Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.

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[1] Eicochrysops at Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera

[2] ttp://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Eicochrysops_messapus/classification/

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

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Eicochrysops messapus

Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Eicochrysops
Species:	E. messapus
Binomial name
*Eicochrysops messapus* (Godart, [1824])^[1]
Synonyms
Polyommatus messapus Godart, [1824] Cupido sapphirina Stoneham, 1938 Lycaena acca Westwood, 1851 Lycaena mahallakoaena Wallengren, 1857 Eicochrysops mahallakoaena Catochrysops nandiana Bethune-Baker, 1906 Polyommatus sebagadis Guérin-Méneville, 1849 Cupido messapus ab. trisignatus Strand, 1911