Aphnaeus erikssoni

Updated on Dec 21, 2024

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Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Lycaenidae Rank Species		Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Aphnaeus

Similar Aphnaeus, Axiocerses, Aloeides, Aphnaeini, Spindasis

Aphnaeus erikssoni, the Eriksson's highflier, is a butterfly in the Lycaenidae family. It is found in Angola, Namibia, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The habitat consists of savanna and open woodland.

Adults of subspecies A. e. barnesi have been recorded feeding from the flowers of Brachystegia trees and sucking from damp spots.

The larvae feed on Julbernadia globiflora and Burkea africana. They are associated with ants of the Crematogaster genus.

Subspecies

A. e. erikssoni (southern Angola, Namibia: Caprivi, north-western Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo: south-east to Lualaba)

A. e. barnesi Stempffer, 1954 (eastern Zimbabwe)

A. e. kiellandi Stempffer, 1972 (Tanzania: south-west to the Mpanda and Kigoma districts)

A. e. mashunae Stempffer, 1954 (Zimbabwe: Harare area)

A. e. rex Aurivillius, 1909 (Malawi, south-eastern Tanzania, north-eastern Zambia, Mozambique)

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