en Myrina dermaptera

Myrina dermaptera
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Myrina
Species:	M. dermaptera
Binomial name
	Myrina dermaptera; (Wallengren, 1857)
Synonyms
	Loxura dermaptera Wallengren, 1857;

Myrina dermaptera, the lesser fig-tree blue or scarce fig-tree blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, southern Arabia and northern Oman.

Description

The wingspan is 26–32 mm for males and 30–38 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round with strong peaks in November and from April to June.^[2]

Habitat and behavior

The males are highly territorial, and patrol their chosen spots around fig trees. They are noted to perform in an unusual hovering and spiraling aerial display, which seems as a form of threat or dominance.^[3]

The larvae feed on Ficus species, including F. sur, F. thonningii and F. natalensis.

Subspecies

Myrina dermaptera dermaptera (Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga and Limpopo, southern Mozambique)
Myrina dermaptera nyassae Talbot, 1935 (Zimbabwe, Malawi, eastern Tanzania to Kenya (Nairobi))

References

^ Myrina at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
^ Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
^ Woodhall, S. (2009). "Strange behaviour from a Myrina dermaptera dermaptera (Scarce Fig-tree Blue) male". Metamorphosis. 20 (1). The Lepidopterists' Society of Africa: 38–39.

External links

Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 66 f

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[1] Myrina at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms

[2] Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.

[3] Woodhall, S. (2009). "Strange behaviour from a Myrina dermaptera dermaptera (Scarce Fig-tree Blue) male". Metamorphosis. 20 (1). The Lepidopterists' Society of Africa: 38–39.

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