Tarucus thespis

Tarucus thespis
	Line "a", 7th and 8th images
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Tarucus
Species:	T. thespis
Binomial name
	Tarucus thespis; (Linnaeus, 1764)
Synonyms
	Papilio thespis Linnaeus, 1764 ; Papilio pitho Linnaeus, 1764;

Tarucus thespis, the fynbos blue or vivid blue, is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in South Africa, from the Northern Cape, south to fynbos in the West Cape and east to the Amathole Mountains in the Eastern Cape.

The wingspan is 20–25 mm for males and 20–27 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round, with peaks from September to November and from February to March.^[2]

The larvae feed on Phylica imberbis and Saxifraga species.

References

^ Tarucus at Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera
^ Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.

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

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

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