Iolaus diametra, the natal yellow-banded sapphire, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Africa, roughly from South Africa to Ethiopia.
| Iolaus diametra | |
|---|---|
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| Seitz Fauna Africana Taf69 (line a) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Iolaus |
| Species: | I. diametra
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| Binomial name | |
| Iolaus diametra | |
| Synonyms | |
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The wingspan is 26–28 mm for males and 27–29 mm for females. Adults are on wing from July to December with a peak in October in South Africa. There is one generation per year.[3]
The larvae of subspecies I. d. natalica feed on Actinanthella wylliei. Other recorded food plants are Oliverella hildebrandtii and Englerina woodfordioides.[4]
Subspecies edit
- I. d. diametra (northern Tanzania, eastern Kenya, southern Ethiopia)
- I. d. natalica Vári, 1976 (northern KwaZulu-Natal)
- I. d. littoralis (Congdon & Collins, 1998) (coast of Kenya, coast of Tanzania)
- I. d. zanzibarensis (Congdon & Collins, 1998) (Tanzania: Zanzibar)
References edit
- ^ Westrip, J.R.S. (2021). "Iolaus diametra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T62099A165245718. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T62099A165245718.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ Iolaus at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
- ^ Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
- ^ "Afrotropical Butterflies: Lycaenidae - Subtribe Iolaina". Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2012-08-28.
External links edit
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