Phasis thero
Encyclopedia
The Silver Arrowhead or Hooked Copper (Phasis thero) is a butterfly
of the Lycaenidae
family. It is found in South Africa
.
The wingspan
is 31-46 mm for males and 38-47 mm females. Adults of ssp. thero are on wing from September to November and again from March to May in two generations. Adults of ssp. cedarbergae are on wing from October to November and probably also in autumn.
The larvae feed on Rhus undulata and Melianthus major
. Larvae have been found inside hollow stems of their food plant, but also in nests of Cremogaster peringueyi ants at the base of these stems.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Lycaenidae
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
family. It is found in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 31-46 mm for males and 38-47 mm females. Adults of ssp. thero are on wing from September to November and again from March to May in two generations. Adults of ssp. cedarbergae are on wing from October to November and probably also in autumn.
The larvae feed on Rhus undulata and Melianthus major
Melianthus major
Melianthus major is an evergreen suckering shrub, endemic to South Africa and naturalised in India, Australia and New Zealand. It grows to between 2 to 3 metres tall and has large, divided, blue-green leaves which have an unpleasant odour. Long, dark-red flower spikes appear in spring, followed by...
. Larvae have been found inside hollow stems of their food plant, but also in nests of Cremogaster peringueyi ants at the base of these stems.
Subspecies
- Phasis thero thero (from Cape Peninsula, north along coast to Lambert’s Bay, east to Knysna)
- Phasis thero cedarbergae Dickson & Wykeham, 1974 (Cederberg and Gifberg)