Butterflies of
Africa
Black Fairy
Hairstreak
Hypolycaena nigra
BETHUNE-BAKER, 1914
Family - LYCAENIDAE
subfamily -
THECLINAE
Tribe -
HYPOLYCAENINI
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Hypolycaena nigra,
male, Bunso, Ghana |
Introduction
There are 45 members of the genus
Hypolycaena, of which 22 are found in the Afrotropical
region, 1 in the Holarctic region ( China ), and 18 in the
Oriental region. In the
Australian region a further 4 species are found, but they differ in
certain ways from other Hypolycaena
species, so a new genus may need to be erected to contain them.
The African
Hypolycaena species are
popularly known as Fairy Hairstreaks. The various species can be
distinguished from one another by examining the curvature and
alignment of the orange median stripe on the underside, the
configuration of the white markings on the upperside hindwings,
and the hue of the metallic scales in the basal area of the
upperside.
Hypolycaena nigra is found from
Sierra Leone to Congo, Uganda and n.w. Tanzania.
Habitats
This is a rainforest species, which occurs at altitudes between
about 100-500m.
Lifecycle
The lifecycle
is unknown.
Adult behaviour
Both sexes
nectar at various wild flowers, usually holding
their wings erect when feeding. They periodically oscillate
their hindwings, which causes the little tails to wiggle, and
this, together with the "false eye" marking at the edge of the
wings diverts the attention of predators away from the
butterfly's head and body. Birds generally try to predict which
direction a butterfly will take, so they aim their attack at a
point just ahead of the butterfly.
Hypolycaena hatita and other Theclinae turn this to their
advantage, fooling the bird into aiming behind the butterfly,
which then flies forward and often escapes unharmed.
When not
feeding, both sexes sit on low herbage, and bask with their wings fully outspread.
Males often settle at the edges of puddles to imbibe moisture.
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