Iolaus alcibiades, the giant sapphire, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria (south and the Cross River loop), Cameroon, Bioko, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Équateur and Lulua).[2] The habitat consists of forests and more open habitats.

Iolaus alcibiades
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Iolaus
Species:
I. alcibiades
Binomial name
Iolaus alcibiades
Kirby, 1871[1]
Synonyms
  • Iolaus (Philiolaus) alcibiades
  • Jolaus julianus Staudinger, 1891

The larvae feed on the flowers of Loranthus incanus. They are associated with the ant species Crematogaster buchneri.

References

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  1. ^ Iolaus at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. ^ "Afrotropical Butterflies: Lycaenidae - Subtribe Iolaina". Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2012-08-31.
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