Tarucus thespis
Encyclopedia
The Fynbos Blue or Vivid Blue (Tarucus thespis) is a butterfly
of the Lycaenidae
family. It is found in South Africa
, from the North Cape, south to fynbos in the West Cape and east to the Amatolas in the East Cape.
The wingspan
is 20-25 mm for males and 20-27 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round, with peaks from September to November and from February to March.
The larvae feed on Phylica imberbis and Saxifraga species.
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...
, from the North Cape, south to fynbos in the West Cape and east to the Amatolas in the East Cape.
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 20-25 mm for males and 20-27 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round, with peaks from September to November and from February to March.
The larvae feed on Phylica imberbis and Saxifraga species.