Butterflies of
Africa
Common Zebra Blue
Leptotes pirithous
LINNAEUS, 1767
Family - LYCAENIDAE
subfamily -
POLYOMMATINAE
Tribe -
LYCAENESTHINI
Leptotes pirithous,
Wli Falls, Ghana / Togo border
Introduction
The genus
Leptotes comprises of about 26 species, of which 10
are found in the Neotropical region, one in s.e. Asia, and 15 in the
Afrotropical region, including the illustrated species
pirithous, which is found also in southern Europe and s.w. Asia.
In Africa
Leptotes pirithous is a very common and widely distributed species, and
probably occurs in every country, although it has not yet been reported from
Mali. It also occurs on Madagascar.
Leptotes
species in Africa and Asia are popularly known as Zebra Blues.
Leptotes pirithous was on a single occasion in 1938
captured in southern Britain, where it was given a different name - Lang's
Short-tailed Blue. The latter name is misleading, as the butterfly is only
distantly related to other "Short-tailed Blues", which are members of the genus
Cupido ( Everes ).
Habitats
This is primarily a savannah species, but due to it's migratory behaviour it is
often seen in other habitats including along logging roads in primary
rainforest. It also turns up frequently in gardens, parks, coastal habitats etc.
Lifecycle
The larvae are
polyphagous. Foodplants so far recorded include
Plumbago,
Indigofera,
Rynchosia,
Vigna,
Burkea, Cajanus,
Crotalaria,
Mundulea,
Melilotus,
Crataegus,
Quercus,
Medicago,
Trifolium,
Arachis,
Lythrum,
Calluna,
Genista,
Dorycnium, Onobrychis,
Lantana, Pisum, Rhynchosia and
Ulex.
Adult behaviour
Males commonly settle to imbibe mineralised moisture from damp
ground, sometimes assembling in hundreds during the peak of the
dry season. Both sexes frequently visit flowers,
Plumbago being a particular favourite
as it serves both as an adult nectar source and a major larval
foodplant.
Leptotes pirithous,
Wli Falls, Ghana / Togo border
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