Aloeides molomo

Aloeides molomo
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Aloeides
Species:	A. molomo
Binomial name
Aloeides molomo (Trimen, 1870)[1]
Synonyms
Zeritis molomo Trimen, 1870

Aloeides molomo, the molomo copper, is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in southern Africa.

The wingspan is 22–33 mm for males and 24–35 mm for females. Adults are on wing from August to December and from March to April. There are two generations per year.^[2]

The larvae of A. m. krooni feed on Sida ovata.

Subspecies

• A. m. molomo (Eastern Cape, Free State, eastern Northern Cape, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West)
• A. m. mumbuensis Riley, 1921 (Botswana, Zambia)
• A. m. kiellandi Carcasson, 1961 (south-western Tanzania: Mpanda)
• A. m. krooni Tite & Dickson, 1973 (northern Northern Cape to Namibia and Botswana)
• A. m. coalescens Tite & Dickson, 1973 (Zimbabwe)
• A. m. handmani Tite & Dickson, 1973 (Malawi)

References

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.