Iolaus lalos, the lalos sapphire or pale sapphire, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. The species was first described by Hamilton Herbert Druce in 1896. It is found in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.[2] The habitat consists of forests (including coastal forests) and coastal dune bush.

Iolaus lalos
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Iolaus
Species:
I. lalos
Binomial name
Iolaus lalos
Synonyms
  • Argiolaus silas lalos H. H. Druce, 1896
  • Iolaus (Argiolaus) lalos
  • Argiolaus lalos kigezi Stempffer & Bennett, 1958

Adults are on wing from December to March.

The larvae feed on Phragmanthera usuiensis usuiensis and Erianthemum dregei.

Subspecies edit

  • Iolaus lalos lalos (coast of Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe: Chirinda Forest, Mozambique: Beira, Tanzania: coast inland to Usambara, Uluguru and Kilimanjaro mountains and Pemba Island)
  • Iolaus lalos kigezi (Stempffer & Bennett, 1958) (Uganda: west to the Kigezi and Ankole districts)

References edit

  1. ^ Savela, Markku (September 6, 2018). "Iolaus lalos (Druce, 1896)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  2. ^ "Afrotropical Butterflies: Lycaenidae - Subtribe Iolaina". Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2012-08-31.

External links edit