Lepidochrysops swanepoeli

Lepidochrysops swanepoeli, the Swanepoel's blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in montane grassland in the hills above Fairview and the Sheba Mines in Mpumalanga. There is also a single record from northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Lepidochrysops swanepoeli
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Lycaenidae
Genus:
Lepidochrysops
Species:
L. swanepoeli
Binomial name
Lepidochrysops swanepoeli
(Pennington, 1948)
Synonyms
  • Cupido (Lepidochrysops) swanepoeli Pennington, 1948

The wingspan is 36–40 mm for males and 38–42 mm for females. Adults are on wing from September to early December, with a peak in November. There is one extended generation per year.[2]

The larvae feed on Becium grandiflorum.

References
  1. Williams, M.C. (2020). "Lepidochrysops swanepoeli". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T11553A168313774. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  2. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.


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