Iolaus trimeni

Trimen’s sapphire
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Iolaus
Species:	I. trimeni
Binomial name
Iolaus trimeni Wallengren, 1875[1]
Synonyms
Jolaus trimeni Wallengren, 1875 Iolaus anesius Hulstaert, 1924

Trimen’s sapphire (Iolaus trimeni) is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in the southern DRC, south-eastern Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa. In South Africa it is found from northern KwaZulu-Natal to Mpumalanga, Gauteng and the North West province.

The wingspan is 34–40 mm for males and 36–42 mm for females. Adults are on the wing year round in warmer areas. In the cooler western part of its range there is a peak from September to January.^[2]

The larvae feed on Tapinanthus oleifolius, T. quinquangulus, T. rubromarginatus and T. subulatus.

References

1. Iolaus, Site of Markku Savela
2. Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.