Kingdom Animalia Family Lycaenidae Scientific name Iolaus bowkeri Rank Species | Class Insecta Genus Stugeta Phylum Arthropoda Order Butterflies and moths | |
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Similar Axiocerses amanga, Eicochrysops messapus, Iolaus mimosae, Hemiolaus caeculus, Tarucus sybaris | ||
Stugeta bowkeri, the Bowker's sapphire, Bowker's marbled sapphire or Bowker's tailed blue, is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in most of southern Africa.
Contents
The wingspan is 26–32 mm for males and 29–41 mm for females. Adults are on wing from September to May, with peaks in October and March.
Larvae of subspecies bowkeri and henningi feed on Viscum rotundifolium. Larvae of subspecies tearei have been recorded on Ximenia caffra and X. americana, Viscum rotundifolium and Tapinanthus quinquangulus. Other recorded food plants include Loranthus species (including L. elegans and L. oleaefolius) and other Tapinanthus and Ximenia species.
Subspecies
Etymology
The name honours the lepidopterist James Henry Bowker.
References
Stugeta bowkeri Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA